*Puts Workers On Standby

THE leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), on Tuesday, August 20, threatened to embark on a nationwide strike and shutdown the economy if the Nigerian police eventually detain its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero.

Recall that the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Intelligence Response Team (IRT), had invited Ajaero for questioning over allegations of “criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.” 
     The letter of invitation, dated August 19, 2024, and signed by Adamu Mu’azu (ACP), on behalf of the Commissioner of Police Intelligence, said Ajaero’s name was mentioned in ongoing investigations connected to “criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, reasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.”

The letter directed Ajaero to report at the IRT Complex, Abbattoir by Guzape Junction on Tuesday, August 20 at 10 am, threatening that a warrant of arrest would be issued against him if he failed to report.

The invitation came weeks after a night invasion of the NLC national secretariat in Abuja by policemen, during which its bookshop was raided and some documents carted away, an action justified by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, who explained that the Police were on the trail of a terrorists who masterminded the crisis in Sudan.

He stated that the raid was in search of seditious materials linked to the suspect, and not directed at the NLC, even though the suspect has an office in the Labour House, or was it in connection to the recent nationwide protest.

Just last week, NLC rejected the explanation, demanding the release of its arrested members and confisticated documents.

It also alleged government attempts to interfere with the organisation’s internal affairs, including a proposed reduction in the tenure of trade union leaders.

In response to the invitation, NLC’s Counsel, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), earlier on Tuesday, August 20, wrote to the Police, asking that Ajaero’s interview be shifted to August 29, as he would be unable to honour the invitation on the stated date due to a prior engagement scheduled before the invitation was received.

The letter, dated August 20 and signed by Mr. Samuel Ogala, on behalf of Falana, read: “We are solicitors to the Nigeria Labour Congress and its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, on whose behalf we write this letter in respect of the above subject matter.

“We have the instructions of Comrade Joe Ajaero to inform you that he is unable to honour your invitation on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, in view of the fact that your invitation letter was received by him on Monday.

“He has an engagement that had been fixed before the receipt of the invitation letter. Therefore, Ajaero is prepared for your interview on Wednesday, August 29, 2024.”

Falana added: “Furthermore, in accordance with the provisions of Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as altered, Ajaero requests for the details and nature of the allegations of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion and cybercrime levelled against him.

“While awaiting your positive response to this letter, please accept the assurances of our highest esteem.”

In addition, at the end of an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting to discuss the issue, the Council resolved that its president should honour the invitation, but at the date stated by Falana.

Deputy President of the NLC, Comrade Ado Kabiru Sani, who read the resolution, put workers and their affiliate bodies on  standby for further directives should the Police act contrary to their expectation by detaining Ajaero.
     He stated: “However, we wish to state unequivocally that this does not in any way legitimise the baseless allegations levelled against him.

“The NLC remains resolute in its commitment to defending the rights and interests of workers and the Nigerian people. We shall not be cowed or intimidated by these desperate attempts to silence us.

“The NEC strongly condemns the continued harassment of the leadership of the NLC and other Labour leaders. We view this as a calculated attempt to weaken and destabilise the labour movement, which has always stood as a bastion of democratic principles and the voice of the Nigerian masses.

“The NEC warns the state to desist from its evil intentions and stop the ongoing witch-hunt against the leaders of the Congress forthwith.”

“As a committed Labour centre, we will honour 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.”
     While describing the invitation as “a clearly unfounded and politically-motivated investigation,” NLC said it “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.”

      The umbrella Labour union said ‘rather than extending the demand by the Congress for the earlier invasion of its national headquarters by security agencies, the Police has chosen to embark on this spurious and fortuitous journey of intimidation, harassment, and witch-hunt.

“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 Nigeria and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions 87 and 98.”

In its reaction, the National Union of Elelctricity Employees (NUEE) in a statement signed by its acting General Secretary, Mr. Igwebike Dominic, expressed deep concern over the invitation.

It stated: “The Federal Government’s resort to witch-hunt, harassment and name-calling, instead of apologising to the Congress and its leadership for the unlawful invasion of the NLC headquarters a few days ago, is both embarrassing and clueless.

“The choice by the government to stifle Labour and free speech in the country as a tool to compel Nigerians to continue to suffer in silence in the face of government policies that are not favourable to the people is quite deploring.”

On its part, Amnesty International (AI), Nigeria, accused the federal government of trying to undermine and intimidate NLC and its leadership with allegations of terrorism financing, just as the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) expressed concern over what it called escalating attacks on the trade union movement in Nigeria.

A statement by AI Nigeria’s Country Director, Mr. Isa Sanusi, described the allegations against NLC and its leaders as a blatant attempt to cripple the union.

He stressed that government’s actions were a clear violation of international human rights laws, particularly the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which guarantees the freedom of association, adding: “Workers cannot be targeted for participating in trade union activities.”

The statement, titled, ‘Targeting of NLC and its leaders aimed at crippling the union,’ read: “Amnesty International is deeply concerned by the Nigerian authorities’ fresh attempts to further intimidate and harass Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) through threats of arrest of its president, Joe Ajaero.

“We urge the authorities to end this pattern of brazen impunity and respect the right of the labour unions to agree or disagree with government and its policies.

“Under international human rights law and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, freedom of association is guaranteed, and workers cannot be targeted for participating in trade union activities.

“The Nigerian authorities have an obligation not only to respect the rights of workers, but also to protect these rights from abuse.”

ITUC, while expressing concern over what it described as rising attacks on the trade union movement in Nigeria, recalled, in a statement by its General Secretary, Luc Triangle: “Earlier this month, heavily armed security forces raided and occupied the headquarters of the ITUC-affiliated NLC, arresting a union worker and wrecking the organisation’s bookshop.

“The situation in Nigeria is deeply concerning. These latest events come on the back of a sharp rise in intimidation and repression of trade unions.”