The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has stated that it may consider taking industrial action if its President, Joe Ajaero, is detained by the Nigeria Police.
This statement was made after an emergency National Executive Council meeting held at the NLC headquarters. The meeting discussed the police invitation to Ajaero regarding allegations of terrorism financing.
The NLC resolved that Ajaero should comply with the police invitation, but requested a postponement of the appearance through their legal adviser.
Deputy President Ado Kabiru Sani advised workers to be prepared for further instructions if the situation develops contrary to their expectations.
His words: “As a committed labor center, we will honor the invitation of the police because we are not a faceless organisation, but we are working with our lawyer for an extension of time.
“In the event that the President is arrested, all workers will down tools immediately. We should wait for further directives from our leadership.”
Briefing the workers who had assembled at the Labour House in solidarity with the Congress President and to follow him to the police headquarters, the NLC Deputy President, Kabiru Ado Sani, said that the invitation to Ajaero was an invitation to workers.
According to him, “At the end of the meeting, we reached some certain resolutions. Part of the resolutions is that, as a committed labour center that we agreed or that we abide by the rule of law and due process.
“We will honor the invitation of the Nigerian police, because we are not faseless organization, but we believe that we need an extension of time, after consultation with our lawyers, because this invitation was extended to the Congress President yesterday and asked to report at the police by 10am today.
“So we are already working with our lawyers to look for extension of time, but this does not legitimize the charges by the Nigerian police to the Congress leadership, and secondly, we resolve that in an event our Congress President was arrested or detained at any moment, we put our affiliate on red alert to mobilize our membership across the country, that all workers in this country should down tool their services.
“This is the resolution because, comrades, this organization belongs to all of us, therefore we should do everything possible to safeguard the safety of this organization. We therefore, thank you very much, and you should wait for further directives by our leadership.
“Whatever happens, we will communicate your leadership, and your leadership will communicate you. So we urge you to remain calm and go back peacefully to our working place and await further directives.”
Ede Nwa Ede
