BREAKING:Armed Policemen Pick NLC President, Ajaero To Unknown Destination

…As Congress Shuts Down Owerri

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has been picked up from the NLC State Council Secretariat by heavily armed police men in Owerri, Imo state, and taken to an unknown destination.

Ajaero was arrested during the protest rally against alleged maltreatment of workers in the state.

The NLC after a strategy working meeting of its Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting presided over by Ajaero with all the affiliate unions Tuesday evening in Owerri, had resolved to embark on a protest/strike action today, Wednesday, 1st November 2023 to totally cripple activities in all sectors in the state.

As early as 8 am Wednesday morning, workers started gathering at the state Secretariat of the NLC for the protest but suddenly some men with harmful weapons stormed the Secretariat and attacked the workers and chased them away.

However, the workers reassembled at the Secretariat again but this time led by the NLC president and General Secretary, Emma Ugboaja to commence the protest.

Just as Ajaero was about to address the gathering, a team of armed Policemen came and arrested him alongside some officials of the NLC and took them away to an wunknown destination. There were several gun shots apparently fired to disperse the workers.

Head of Information and Publicity at the NLC, Benson Upah who spoke to our correspondent noted that, “The NLC President was abducted by men suspected to Policemen armed to their teeth at the Imo state NLC secretariat on Wednesday as we are about to commence our lawful protest against the violation of trade Union rights of the workers.”

NLC Deputy General Secretary and Chief of Staff to the NLC president, Chris Onyeka said that he was standing with Ajaero when he was brutalized and arrested.

“As workers were gathering to protest their maltreatment by the state government in Owerri, Imo state and the President of NLC was about addressing the workers, the Police came amidst attacks by thugs to arrest Ajaero.

“Thugs first attacked and dragged Ajaero from the platform before Police came to arrest along with another senior official of the NLC,” he said.

Meanwhile, at the CWC meeting held at the vandalised secretariat of the State Council of Congress on Tuesday evening in Owerri, Union’s had taken turns to lambast the government for: “Its insincerity, duplicity and perfidy; over 42 months arrears owed workers and pensioners, declaration of thousands of workers/pensioners ghost workers/pensioners; improper implementation of the national minimum wage.

Other issues the aggrieved workers voiced out were an attempt by the state government to use the courts to stifle a lawful protest, an attempt to the break the ranks of the unions in the State; undermining the NLC in the state by foisting on the state council a leadership not constituted in accordance with the provisions of of the Congress constitution, continuous interference in the affairs of the state council; hiring thugs to vandalise Congress state secretariat; observing in breach agreements government voluntarily entered into with Congress as far back as 2021, etc.

More details later…