In response to the recent attack on the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Imo State, Joe Ajaero, the organised labour have announced plans to hold a nationwide strike on Wednesday, the 9th of November.
Africa Today News, New York recalls that Ajaero was on Wednesday detained, beaten and taken to the hospital by operatives of the Nigeria Police.
The NLC president was taken into custody during a protest march organised by the NLC national leadership in response to claims that the state government was abusing and violating the rights of its workers.
Addressing journalists at Labour House, Abuja on Friday, the General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nuhu Toro, who was accompanied by other officials of NLC, said they were demanding immediate redeployment of the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Barde from the state.
He said: ‘Comrade Joe Ajaero was blindfolded, beaten to a pulp, brutalised, humiliated, and violated by the police personnel and taken to an unknown destination where he was subjected to more battering and torture as well as threatened with death before “help” came his way via the National Security Adviser, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, who ordered his immediate release.
‘However, due to the severity of his injuries, the police had to take him to the Police hospital, where we made contact with him at 3:30 pm. At the time of our first contact with Comrade Joe Ajaero, his right eye was puffed, black and shut, one of his ears has tiny trace of dried blood, and his speech was slurred and incoherent.
‘He had welts all over him. He did not recognise the people around him and could not walk without being aided or supported. Inevitably, he had to be taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri for more investigation.’
Other demands by both NLC and TUC members include immediate implementation of different industrial relations agreements reached, thorough and unbiased medical examination for Ajaero among others. The TUC scribe said: ‘We further resolved that in the event the government fails to comply with any or all of the conditions above-stated, NLC, TUC and their affiliates will no longer guarantee industrial peace in Nigeria beginning Wednesday the 8th of November, 2023 while a joint National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the two Labour Centres will meet to decide on the next course of action.
‘We find it appropriate to let Nigerians know the sequence of events that led to our going to Owerri for a peaceful protest but which was aborted by the police and hoodlums recruited by the state governor. This has become necessary so they do not fall victim to government’s propaganda or police’s disinformation and misinformation.” Toro added: “The Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria resolved as follows: The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Ahmed Barde should be investigated and deployed out of Imo State for his serial complicities and unprofessional behaviour and conduct immediately.’
‘The Area Commander of the Nigeria Police Force and all other officers and men in Owerri through whom the Police Commissioner supervised the brutalisation and humiliation of Comrade Ajaero and other workers be relieved of his office and stripped of his commission.