The leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has asked its members to be ready to commence nationwide strike, if anything happens to Joe Ajaero its President as he honours police invitation.
The Nigerian Police had on Monday, invited the President NLC for questioning over alleged “criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion and cybercrime in which he was mentioned”.
The NLC in <span;> a communique issued at the end of its emergency National Executive Council (NEC) on Tuesday in Abuja, directed all its state chapters and affiliates to mobilize workers for an indefinite strike from midnight if anything happened to the Ajaero who has gone to honour police invitation in Abuja.
According to NLC, Ajaero’s summon was premised on a clearly unfounded and politically motivated investigation into alleged terrorism financing, cybercrime, subversion, criminal conspiracy, and treasonable felony.
The communique signed by Comrade Ado Sani Minjibir, NLC Deputy President, warned that “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.”
The communique reads: “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 alert to proceed on indefinite nationwide strike action by 12:00 midnight today”.
NLC also called on all civil society allies and the general populace to stand in solidarity with the Nigeria Labour Congress in this critical moment.
The NEC meeting was convened to deliberate on the recent developments surrounding the invitation of Ajaero, by the Nigeria Police Force.
The meeting expressed grave concern, ‘that rather than extending the demand 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.
“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,” the communique said.
It added that the NLC president has decided to honour the police invitation as a responsible labour centre committed to the rule of law and due process.
It however warmed that it will not sit idly while the rights and freedoms of its members and leaders are trampled upon with impunity by the state.
