The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a warning of an indefinite nationwide strike starting at midnight if anything happens to its president, Joe Ajaero.
The threat was made by Ado Kabiru Sani, NLC’s deputy president, in a statement following the national executive council (NEC) meeting held on Tuesday.
The meeting was convened to address the police’s invitation of Ajaero in connection with allegations related to “terrorism financing”.
NEC agreed that Ajaero should honour the police invitation and asked the nation’s workforce to be on standby for further directives should the police take it further.
“As a responsible labour centre committed to the rule of law and due process, the NLC shall honour the invitation extended to its President by the Nigeria Police but will demand for extension of time given the nature of the invitation,” the communique reads.
“However, we wish to state unequivocally that this does not in any way legitimise the baseless allegations levelled against him.
“The NEC directs all affiliates and state councils to immediately commence the process of mobilising 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 to proceed on indefinite nationwide strike action by 12:00 midnight today.
“The NEC calls on all civil society allies and the general populace to stand in solidarity with the Nigeria Labour Congress in this critical moment.
“The fight against injustice and oppression is a collective one, and we urge all Nigerians to rise in defence of our shared democratic values.”
Ajaero has honoured the police invitation at the time of reporting. On Monday, the police invited Ajaero for questioning over “a case of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime”.
The letter signed by Adamu Mu’azu, assistant commissioner of police, indicated that Ajaero is expected at the intelligence response team (IRT) complex in Abuja on Tuesday.
Mu’azu said an arrest warrant will be issued on Ajaero if he does not honour the invitation.
Benson Upah, media head of the NLC, said the police failed to accord the NLC president the courtesy of his official title in the invite.
Upah added that labour is being victimised for the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest which ended on August 10.
The summon is connected to the recent raid of the NLC secretariat in Abuja by the police.
On August 7, police raided the NLC building in the Central Business District of Abuja.
The NLC said operatives who raided the building “claimed that they were looking for seditious materials used for the #EndBadGovernance protests”.
Subsequently, Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police (IGP), said one of the masterminds of the Sudan conflict was traced to the NLC headquarters.
The IGP added that police detectives traced the foreigner to a shop within the Labour House, and that operatives did not raid the secretariat.
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