The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has set a deadline of midnight Monday for the Federal Government to release its President, Joe Ajaero, or face severe repercussions.
The NLC has scheduled an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting for Tuesday at 9 a.m. to determine the appropriate response if Ajaero is not freed.
In a communiqué issued after an emergency National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting, signed by NLC Deputy President Prince Adewale Adeyanju, the NLC condemned the arrest and detention of Ajaero. The communiqué stated, “The National Administrative Council (NAC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) convened an emergency meeting today to address the alarming and unlawful arrest and detention of Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC, by agents of the Nigerian Government.”
According to the NLC, Ajaero was detained at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja while traveling to the United Kingdom to attend and address the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Britain on issues concerning workers’ rights and social justice.
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The communiqué continued, “After extensive deliberation, the NAC resolved as follows: The Council unequivocally condemns the brazen and illegal detention of Comrade Joe Ajaero by the Nigerian State without any legal warrant or justification.”
The NLC expressed concern over Ajaero’s detention, asserting, “Comrade Ajaero was lawfully discharging his duties to represent Nigerian workers and had not committed any offense warranting such action. His detention is an affront to the rights of workers and the democratic principles of freedom of movement and expression.”
The NLC demands Ajaero’s immediate and unconditional release before midnight, emphasizing, “The Council reiterates that Joe Ajaero is not a fugitive or a criminal, and his detention is an act of intimidation aimed at silencing dissent and stifling the labor movement’s voice in Nigeria. NAC also demands the immediate reversal of the current hike in the price of petrol to N617/Litre.”
The NLC has placed all affiliates, state councils, civil society allies, and the public on high alert, stating, “The detention of Comrade Ajaero is an attack not just on the NLC leadership but on the rights of all workers and citizens to organize, protest, and express themselves freely.”
The communiqué concluded with a call to action, “The NLC will not stand by while these rights are trampled upon. This provocation is another attempt by the State to scuttle the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage.”
The NAC has summoned an emergency NEC meeting for 9:00 a.m. on September 10, 2024, to address the situation. The NLC urges the Nigerian Government to halt its “dangerous trend of authoritarianism and lawlessness,” and demands the immediate implementation of the New National Minimum Wage, reaffirming its commitment to defending workers’ rights and democratic freedoms.
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