The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared that it will not be intimidated by the federal government, despite recent actions it views as attempts to suppress the labor movement.
NLC President Joe Ajaero condemned the government’s recent conduct, including the invasion of the union’s headquarters, a threatening letter from the Registrar of Trade Unions, and the arrest of National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) executive Opalua Eleojo, as efforts to intimidate organized labor.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Ajaero accused the federal government of insincerity in its dealings with Nigerians, particularly criticizing the unfulfilled promises related to the cost of living. He pointed out that citizens were misled into believing they could purchase a 50kg bag of rice for ₦40,000, a promise that remains unfulfilled.
“For example, in the days leading up to the End-Hunger protests, the Registrar of Trade Unions, acting on orders from above, sent us a threatening letter regarding our relationship with the Labour Party, citing Section 15, subsections 2, 3, and 4 of the Trade Unions Act,” Ajaero stated.
He further criticized the government’s efforts to reduce the tenure of trade union officials to two years, describing it as a blatant interference in the internal affairs of trade unions and a violation of both labor laws and International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions.
Ajaero also refuted claims made by Nigeria Police Public Relations Officer Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who asserted that the recent raid on the NLC headquarters had nothing to do with the labor union. Ajaero dismissed this statement as false, stating, “There was no intentional terrorist hiding in the union’s headquarters. If the police genuinely had credible intelligence, they should have involved the Congress leadership. If secrecy was necessary, they could have consulted with us at the critical moment.”
He urged the government and police to stop distracting from the real issues, particularly the economic policies that continue to cause hardship for Nigerians. “The insincerity of the government is glaring. They claimed they were selling rice at ₦40,000 per bag, but the price was actually ₦80,000. To this day, no one has been able to show us where rice was sold at ₦40,000,” Ajaero remarked.
Concluding his remarks, Ajaero called on the government to cease its attempts to intimidate the Nigeria Labour Congress and the wider Nigerian populace.
