The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) counterpart have in response to the attack and battery of NLC’s President, Joe Ajaero in Imo State given the Federal Government a strike notice.
Representatives of the NLC and TUC, on Friday presented the Federal Government with a six-point demand during a press briefing in Abuja.
The Union demanded the investigation, immediate removal of Imo State Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Barde, and Area Commander, among other officials, for their alleged complicity in the brutalisation and humiliation of Ajaero and other workers.
In a statement signed by their General Secretaries, Emmanuel Ugboaja and Comrade Nuhu Toro, they warned of an impending nationwide strike set to commence on Wednesday, November 8, should the government fail to address their demands.
“We further resolved that in the event the government fails to comply with any or all of the conditions above-stated, NLC, TUC and their affiliates will no longer guarantee industrial peace in Nigeria beginning Wednesday the 8th of November, 2023, while a joint National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the two Labour Centres will meet to decide on the next course of action,” the statement read.
“The Area Commander of the Nigeria Police Force and all other officers and men in Owerri through whom the Police Commissioner supervised the brutalisation and humiliation of Comrade Ajaero and other workers be relieved of his office and stripped of his commissions.
“Mr Nwaneri Chinasa, Adviser on Special Duties who supervised the terror on workers and bestial brutality meted out to Congress President; Comrade Joe Ajaero be arrested immediately and prosecuted for his crimes against workers and the President,” it stated.
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The unions insisted on an immediate, independent, and unbiased professional medical examination for Ajaero to assess the extent of the physical and psychological injuries he suffered.
Additionally, the NLC and TUC demanded the treatment of other workers and journalists who had experienced inhumane treatment by the police, the restoration of their confiscated properties, and the implementation of all outstanding industrial relations issues previously agreed upon.
They also addressed allegations that they had disobeyed a court order, stressing the need for transparency and accountability regarding the circumstances surrounding the court order, provided a list of grievances that had led to their planned peaceful protest and called for the resolution of these issues.
“Government repeatedly observed in breach agreements it voluntarily reached with Labour amongst which was the January 9th 2021; Non-payment of salaries and pensions for upward of 22 months ….in some instances, 44 months; Declaration of 11,000 hard-working workers as ghost workers and diversion of their salaries or emoluments to other uses; Serial Vandalism of Congress secretariat for no just cause.”
Recall that Ajaero was allegedly arrested by security operatives during a protest against the treatment of workers in the state by the state government where he was brutalised under police “protection.”
Speaking after his release, the brutalised Ajaero, said God must have taken extra time to create him to sustain the kind of beating he received while in police custody.
He added that the police threatened to drag him to court.
“If you say interim order, it elapses with time; if the court issues another one, then it’s a different thing. I told them interim order ends within one week or two; they now kept the letter and told me they can prosecute me.
“I told them it’s the same court that can institute a contempt charge; you just can’t start prosecuting me.
“They beat me; God must have taken extra time to create me because of the kind of beating I received,” he said.
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