The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it has instructed its members across the country to initiate an indefinite strike starting this midnight if any harm comes to its President, Joe Ajaero and other leaders.
This decision came in the wake of an invitation from the Nigerian Police Force for Ajaero to answer questions over allegations of terrorism financing, cybercrime, and treason the police have levelled against him.
In a communique released after an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, the NLC condemned these accusations as politically motivated and a clear attempt to undermine its role as “a voice of moderation against the oppressive tendencies and anti-people policies of the Tinubu Administration.”
In the document signed by Deputy President Ado Sani Minjibir, the Congress said that it has resolved to honour the police invitation but also demanded an extension due to the nature of the allegations.
It strongly denounced the ongoing harassment of the Congress and its members as a bid to weaken the labour movement.
“The NEC notes with grave concern that rather than attending to the demands by the Congress for the earlier invasion of its national headquarters by security agencies, the Nigeria Police has chosen to embark on this spurious and fortuitous journey of intimidation, harassment, and witch-hunting,” the NLC said in the statement .
“This is nothing but a travesty and a blatant attempt to stifle the voice of the working people and their leadership, as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions 87 and 98.
“In light of this, the NEC of the NLC resolves as follows: 1) We Shall Honour the Invitation: As a responsible labour centre committed to the rule of law and due process, the NLC shall honour the invitation extended to its President by the Nigeria Police but will demand for extension of time given the nature of the invitation. However, we wish to state unequivocally that this does not in any way legitimize the baseless allegations levelled against him.
2) The NEC warns the State to desist from its evil intentions and stop the ongoing witch-hunt against the leaders of the Congress forthwith. The Congress will not sit idly by while the rights and freedoms of its members and leaders are trampled upon with impunity by the State.
3) The NEC directs all affiliates and state councils to immediately commence the process of mobilizing their members across the nation. The Congress will not hesitate to take all necessary actions, including mass protests and industrial actions, to protect the integrity and independence of the labour movement. If anything happens to the President of the Congress or any other leader of the Congress in furtherance of these tendentious allegations by the State, NEC puts all its affiliates and state councils to proceed on indefinite nationwide strike action by 12:00 midnight today.
4) The NEC calls on all civil society allies and the general populace to stand in solidarity with the Nigeria Labour Congress in this critical moment. The fight against injustice and oppression is a collective one, and we urge all Nigerians to rise in defense of our shared democratic values.”
