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Joe Ajaero, The Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria President. |
Organized labor unions, including the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, have announced a nationwide strike to protest the assault and abduction of their President, Joe Ajaero.
This strike, set for Wednesday, November 8, 2023, was disclosed during a press briefing on Friday, prudentj2 learned.
Union leaders have presented the Federal Government with a list of six demands, one of which includes the immediate removal of the Commissioner of Police for Imo State and the Area Commander, among others, due to their alleged involvement in the mistreatment and humiliation of Ajaero and fellow workers.
Ajaero was taken into custody by the police during a protest in the state's capital against the non-payment of workers by the Imo State Government.
The NLC has accused Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma of conspiring with the state's Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Barde, in the 'abduction' of their President. They claim the government has resorted to 'violence and intimidation' against trade unions and their leadership in the state, even though their sole demand was payment of overdue salaries to state workers.
A statement signed by the Secretaries of the joint Unions, Emmanuel Ugboaja (NLC) and Nuhu Toro (TUC), was titled, "The President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero has been abducted by Hope Uzodimma and the Imo State Police Commissioner," and called for President Bola Tinubu's intervention.
However, the state's Police Command and the governor have denied arresting Ajaero in separate statements. The police reported that the NLC President was in Warri, as part of plans to organize laborers for a massive protest in the state, including proposals to shut down critical facilities like the state's airport.
On the other hand, the state's commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, asserted that the governor played no role in Ajaero's arrest, dismissing the accusations as the work of habitual troublemakers.