Civil society organisations (CSOs) under the umbrella of Initiative for Leadership and Economic Watch in Nigeria (LEWN) have called for an overhaul of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) following the alleged involvement of its president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, in the November 2, 2023, protest in Imo State.
According to the group, which comprises the Centre for Peace, Transparency, and Accountability and the Civil Society Groups for Good Governance and Integrity Advocacy for Development Initiative, rather than focusing his attention on the rights and welfare of workers, which is primarily the mandate of the NLC, Ajaero has been more involved in politics, making the labour union a political arm of the Labour Party.
Briefing the press at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Abuja, the Executive Director, LEWN, Ambassador Splendour Agbonkpolor, called for Ajaero’s suspension as well as his investigation by the Police, DSS, and other security agencies.
“The series of ugly political events and lawlessness in Imo State as a result of the poorly stage-managed NLC protest by Comrade Ajaero has necessitated us to address this press conference in order to set the records straight. The events of the last week that nearly snowballed into a breakdown of law and order in Imo State are very disturbing and worrisome.
“We hereby urge the NLC to purge itself of partisanship, as labour unions are the last resort of the common man. It is high time the union suspended Ajaero in order to restore the confidence of ordinary Nigerians who see labour unionism as a struggle for the enforcement of workers’ rights and entitlements.
“As concerned civil society organisations, we cannot sit and watch while unscrupulous elements in the name of comradeship fan the embers of hate and perdition. We use this medium to call for the overhaul of the NLC as a matter of urgency to purge the union of questionable elements who are trying to bring the labour union into disrepute by being political-induced.”
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