President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and have Nigerian workers to contend with.This is the stand of NLC while threatening an indefinite nationwide strike as the Force Headquarters (FHQ) grills Ajaero today over allegations of terrorism financing, cybercrime, and other offences.
To keep tabs on events following Ajaero’s visit to the police, NLC asked all its national officers and affiliate unions to accompany its president to the FHQ.
Meanwhile, Labour Party (LP) chieftain, Linus Okorie, has warned against “the deployment of internal security and police by the Federal Government against Ajaero,” insisting that it will pose a Task of Hercules to silence the NLC President.
A notification to all affiliates and state councils by the NLC General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, yesterday, entitled ‘Mobilisation for Peaceful Procession and Prayer Session in Solidarity’ urged their members in Abuja and across the states to mobilise and show solidarity.
The Congress said all Central Working Committee (CWC) members in Abuja and other members are expected to assemble at the National Headquarters of NLC today by 8.00 am to accompany Ajaero to Louis Edet House for the scheduled interaction.
It urged others to gather at their respective state secretariats, from where they would embark on a peaceful procession to their state police headquarters for a prayer session until the end of Ajaero’s interaction with the police.
Ugboaja said the peaceful march is a united stand against the unjust actions aimed at “intimidating our leadership and stifling the voice of Nigerian workers. We urge all members to remain peaceful and orderly throughout the procession and prayer session. If for any reason, the president is detained; all workers nationwide shall proceed on indefinite strike.”
The NLC leader was asked to appear before the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) on August 20. But Ajaero declined the invitation, demanding details of the allegations against him.
In a letter through Samuel Ogala, Principal Partner at the Falana & Falana’s Chambers, Ajaero said he would be available for questioning on Thursday, August 29.
OKORIE, who represented Ohaozara, Onicha, and Ivo federal constituency of Ebonyi State in the lower chamber, expressed dismay over the action against Ajaero.
In a statement made available to newsmen, Okorie said: “There is typically little or no distinction between the law and the exercise of political power by the executive and the deployment of internal security, and police forces play a heightened role in governance.
“A police state is a characteristic of authoritarian, totalitarian or illiberal regimes (contrary to a liberal democratic regime). Such governments are typically one-party states, but a police state may emerge in a democracy.” He noted that Ajaero was, in November 2023, during a protest in Owerri, allegedly singled out by the police accompanied by thugs.
“In a joint press release then, the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) said ‘police accompanied by thugs inflicted heavy injuries and blows on Ajaero’s head and body, kicking him in the process, while dragging him on the ground’.
“NLC spokesman Benson Upah also alleged that police continued to assault Ajaero after taking him away, causing injuries that shut his right eye. He was later released and immediately went to receive medical treatment for facial injuries,” he added.
