According to Vanguard, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government a harsh ultimatum, stating that Joe Ajaero, its president, must be released immediately and without conditions by midnight today or face serious repercussions. Ajaero was traveling to the United Kingdom for an official engagement when he was stopped and held by government officials at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. This warning follows his arrest and imprisonment.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
In response to the detention, the NLC has scheduled an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting for 9:00 AM on Tuesday to decide on further action if Ajaero is not released by the set deadline.
The arrest has sent shockwaves through the labor community and heightened tensions between the government and Nigerian workers.
In a communiqué issued at the end of its National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting, signed by NLC Deputy President, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, the labor body condemned Ajaero’s arrest, describing it as an act of intimidation and a violation of workers’ rights.
The statement emphasized that Ajaero was performing his lawful duties as NLC President, representing Nigerian workers at an international congress on workers’ rights and social justice in the UK.
“The National Administrative Council unequivocally condemns the brazen and illegal detention of Comrade Joe Ajaero by the Nigerian State without any legal warrant or justification. Comrade Ajaero was lawfully discharging his duties to represent Nigerian workers and had not committed any offense warranting such action,” the communiqué stated.
The NLC further demanded not only the release of Ajaero but also the reversal of the recent hike in petrol prices to N617 per liter, highlighting the economic pressures on Nigerian workers.
The labor union called the detention of its president a “provocation” and warned that the government’s actions appear to be an attempt to derail the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage.
The statement continued: “The detention of Comrade Ajaero is an attack not just on the NLC leadership but on the rights of all workers and citizens to organize, protest, and express themselves freely. The Congress will not stand by while these rights are trampled upon.”
As tensions rise, the NLC has placed its affiliates, state councils, civil society allies, and the general public on high alert, vowing not to be cowed by what it described as “the forces of retrogression.”
The emergency NEC meeting scheduled for tomorrow is expected to result in decisive action, with the NLC reaffirming its commitment to defending the rights of Nigerian workers and opposing all forms of oppression.
The communiqué concluded with a stern warning to the government: “NAC urges the Nigerian government to reverse this dangerous trend of authoritarianism and lawlessness, which threatens the country’s democratic fabric. The NLC will not waver in its duty to protect the rights of workers and the freedom of all Nigerians.”
All eyes are now on the outcome of the NLC’s emergency meeting as the standoff between the labor union and the Federal Government deepens.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
