Due to the ongoing face-off between it and Nigeria Police, the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress has asked its members to be ready to commence a nationwide strike if need be by midnight of Tuesday.
The labour centre said in a communique issued after its emergency National Executive Council in Abuja that it had directed all the state chapters and affiliates to mobilise workers for an indefinite strike from midnight if anything happened to the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, who was invited by the police for questioning over terrorism financing allegation.
The police invitation to Ajaero comes weeks after policemen conducted a night raid on the NLC national secretariat in Abuja.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, while justifying the raid, said the police were on the trail of one of the terrorists who masterminded the crisis in Sudan.
The police added that the raid was to search for seditious materials in connection to the recent nationwide #EndBadGovernance or hunger protest, which turned violent in parts of the country, particularly in the North, where some protesters were seen waving the Russian flag and demanding President Bola Tinubu’s resignation.
On Monday, the police said Ajaero should appear for questioning at 10 am over allegations of terrorism financing and treasonable felony.
But the NLC National Executive Council convened an emergency for Tuesday morning to weigh the situation.
Rising from the meeting, the NLC leadership, in their communique, said they viewed Ajaero’s summon as “a clearly unfounded and politically-motivated investigation.”
In the communique signed by NLC Deputy President, Ado Sani Minjibir, the congress warned that “it will not hesitate to take all necessary actions, including mass protests and industrial actions, to protect the integrity and independence of the labour movement.”
“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 alert to proceed on indefinite nationwide strike action by 12:00 midnight today.”
The NLC also called on all civil society allies and the general populace to stand in solidarity with the union at “this critical moment”.
