The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given president Bola Tinubu’s administration until midnight of Monday, to released it’s president, Comrade Joe Ajaero or face severe consequences.
This ultimatum was issued following an emergency meeting of the NLC’s National Administrative Council (NAC), where the illegal detention of Ajaero was strongly condemned.
In a communiqué released after the NAC meeting which was signed by NLC Deputy President, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, Joe Ajaero was detained at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja while on his way to the United Kingdom.
He was slated to attend and address the Congress of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Britain.
The Council expressed outrage, stating that Ajaero had committed no offense, and his detention was an attempt by the government to silence the labour movement and intimidate its leaders.
In response, the NLC called for Ajaero’s unconditional release before midnight. The body stressed that Ajaero is not a criminal, and his detention is seen as a political move to stifle dissent.
The NAC also highlighted the government’s recent hike in fuel prices, demanding an immediate reversal from N617 per liter.
The communiqué placed the entire country on high alert, urging all NLC affiliates, state councils, civil society groups, and the general public to prepare for action.
The NAC warned that the detention of Ajaero is not just an attack on the NLC but an attack on the rights of all Nigerian workers and citizens to organize and protest.
Meanwhile, to escalate its response, the NLC has called for a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at 9:00am on Tuesday, September 10, 2024.
This meeting will determine the next steps to challenge what the Congress calls an “authoritarian” and “lawless” approach by the Nigerian government.
The NLC also called on the government to immediately implement the new National Minimum Wage, which has already been signed into law.
The Congress reaffirmed its commitment to defending workers’ rights and fighting all forms of oppression, vowing that it will not waver in its mission to protect the freedom of Nigerian citizens and workers.
NLC however, warned the government to reverse its dangerous path of authoritarianism, which they argue threatens the fabric of Nigeria’s democracy.
The labour movement, they declared, will not stand by and allow such actions to continue.