Affiliate unions distance self from Edo NLC election

Idahosa Moses | Benin City

NO fewer than 15 affiliate unions of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Edo State Chapter have distanced themselves from the election that produced Chief Odion Olaye, as Chairman of the state NLC.

The unions cited amongst others the litigation and court injunction that retrained the conduct of the election as some of the reasons for disassociating themselves from the election.

This was stated in a press statement, jointly signed by the affected unions and made available to newsmen in Benin City, the Edo State Capital.

They said: “The purported Delegate Conference held on the 7th day of March, 2023 was an act of illegality held in defiant to a subsisting matter in the National Industrial Court, Abuja, challenging the process and procedure of the Conference which violated the congress Constitution.

“We had protested through a petition dated February 28th, 2023 to the National secretariat of NLC through the General Secretary, complaining about the overbearing, intimidating, and bullying attitude of Odion Olaye, who invaded a State Executive Council meeting with thugs.

“Thus disrupting the composition or setting up of the Screening Committee as well as ractifying the nomination of delegates to the state conference as provided for in Articles 11(2)(vi) and 29(4) of the NLC Constitution, as amended.

“In furtherance of our determination to check or prevent an illegality to be foisted on us, an action was filed at the National Industrial Court, Abuja, complaining about the violation of the provision of the constitution that guides NLC State Conference/Election.

“Despite the service of the court process on the National Secretariat, President and Secretary General of the NLC who are parties to the suit, they still went ahead with the election in defiant of the pending matter.