The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a midnight ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the unconditional release of its President, Joe Ajaero, or face severe consequences. The NLC has scheduled an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting for Tuesday at 9 AM to determine the appropriate response if Ajaero is not released by the deadline.
In a communiqué issued after its National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting, signed by NLC Deputy President, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, the NLC condemned the “illegal” arrest of Ajaero. According to the statement, “The National Administrative Council (NAC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress convened an emergency session today to address the alarming and unlawful arrest and detention of Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC, by agents of the Nigerian Government.”
The NLC explained that Ajaero was detained at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja while on his way to the United Kingdom to attend and address the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Britain. The statement emphasized that Ajaero was representing Nigerian workers in critical discussions on workers’ rights and social justice and had committed no offense to justify his detention.
After extensive discussions, the NAC resolved the following:
- The Council strongly condemns the illegal detention of Comrade Joe Ajaero by the Nigerian Government without any legal warrant or justification.
- The NLC expressed concern that Ajaero was fulfilling his lawful duties and that his detention is an attack on workers’ rights and democratic freedoms, including freedom of movement and expression.
- The NLC demands the immediate and unconditional release of Ajaero by midnight. The Council asserts that Ajaero is neither a criminal nor a fugitive, and his detention is an act of intimidation aimed at silencing dissent and weakening the labor movement.
- The NAC also calls for the immediate reversal of the current fuel price hike to N617 per litre.
The NLC has placed all its affiliates, state councils, civil society partners, and the Nigerian public on high alert, viewing Ajaero’s detention as an assault on the rights of workers and citizens to organize, protest, and express their opinions freely. “The NLC will not tolerate this infringement on fundamental rights,” the communiqué stated, warning that this provocation threatens to derail the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage.
Reaffirming its dedication to defending workers’ rights, the NLC stated that it will continue to oppose all forms of oppression. The NAC has summoned an emergency NEC meeting for 9 AM on September 10, 2024, to decide on decisive actions to confront what it calls “forces of retrogression.”
“The NAC calls on the Nigerian Government to reverse this alarming shift towards authoritarianism and disregard for the rule of law, which endangers the nation’s democratic foundations. The NAC also demands the immediate implementation of the New National Minimum Wage, already signed into law. The Nigeria Labour Congress remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding workers’ rights and preserving the freedoms of all Nigerians.”
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