The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, was on Wednesday, arrested by the operatives of the Nigerian Police Force in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
Ajaero was reported to have been picked up from the NLC State Council Secretariat by heavily armed policemen in Owerri and taken to an unknown destination.
According to a monitored report from Channels Television, the arrest of Ajaero was confirmed by the Head of Media at the NLC Headquarters, Benson Uper, via a WhatsApp message, who stated that he was arrested at the secretariat of the NLC in Imo State.
A source was reported to have said that the labour leader was arrested at the secretariat of the NLC in Imo State while he was about to lead an ‘Occupy Imo’ protest slated for today.
The source said the police arrested Ajaero giving reasons that the labour leader has disobeyed an existing court order by the National Industrial Court restraining the NLC and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) from carrying out any protest in the state.
Although there is not yet an official statement from the police command in Imo State, a police source was reported to have said that Ajaero is in protective custody.
The source said a fight broke out between members of the NLC from Abuja and some workers in Imo who are angry about the action of the NLC President.
The source said the police got wind of the incident and acted to protect the NLC President from any form of attack by taking him into protective custody.
Organized Labour threaten nationwide strike
Meanwhile, the Organised Labour has put workers on alert for an immediate nationwide action if the arrested President of the NLC is not released by the end of today (Wednesday).
In a joint statement by the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) shortly after Ajaero’s arrest, the Labour unions accused the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma and the Imo State Commissioner of Police of abducting the NLC leader.
Asking the workers to be on alert for immediate action, the Organised Labour said workers cannot be at work while the NLC President is in the gulag.
The Organised Labour said that Uzodimma must be called to order by President Bola Tinubu “to avert what he has chosen to turn the state into – a den of thugs and blood suckers.”
avert what he has chosen to turn the state into – a den of thugs and blood suckers.”
What you should know
- The NLC leadership has been having a running battle with Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State over what Labour described as lack of respect for workers, unpaid salaries and pensions amongst others.
- The NLC had vowed to mobilise its members for a total strike in Imo state starting Today, November 1, 2023.
- Ajaero, had during a press briefing on Sunday, accused the Imo State Government of “violating the rights of the Nigerian workers in the state.”
- Accusing the state governor Hope Uzodimma of neglecting workers’ welfare, Ajaero lamented that many of them have died because of the alleged lack of payment of their salaries.
- He outlined some of the infractions against workers by Uzodimma, to include the alleged refusal to implement previous agreements especially the accord reached on January 9, 2021, outstanding salary arrears of about 20 months, unjust declaration of workers as ghost workers, declaration of pensioners as ghost workers and unsettled gratuity arrears, among others
