The Presidency has said that the decision of the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) went on strike over the attack on NLC President Joe Ajaero, which was not only unjustified but also an attempt to blackmail the government.
A statement on Monday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the government still did not understand why the unions would punish an entire country of more than 200 million people over a personal matter involving the NLC chairman. .
The unions, on Tuesday last week, said they would launch a nationwide strike on November 14 to protest Mr Ajaero’s brutality in Owerri, the Imo State capital, the previous week.
Onanuga said although the government would not tolerate any form of violence and aggression against any Nigerian, the Inspector General of Police, Kaode Egbetokun, had ordered an investigation into the matter.
“While the federal government does not tolerate any form of violence and aggression against any citizen of Nigeria, regardless of their social and economic status, it is recorded that the Inspector General of Police has ordered an investigation into what happened to Mr. Ajaero while “The Imo State Commissioner of Police, under whose supervision the incident occurred, has been transferred out of the state,” the statement said.
The presidential aide said that “calling workers to a national strike over a union leader’s personal issue despite a clear court order against any industrial action amounts to an abuse of privilege. Power, at any level, should never be used to settle personal scores. Rather, it should be used to promote collective progress and advance the national interest.”
Onanuga said the planned strike is immoral, unjustifiable and irresponsible.
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) also advised unions on Monday not to strike, asking them to respect the current court order preventing them from taking the planned industrial action.
Read the full statement
STATE HOUSE PRESS STATEMENT
NLC/TUC STRIKE IS NOT IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST
We note with dismay the decision of the Congress of Labor and the Nigerian Trade Union Congress to call upon workers to go on strike from midnight, despite a restraining order issued last week by Justice Benedict Backwash Kanyip of the Tribunal National Labor.
This decision by the NLC and the TUC, apart from being an ego-busting measure, is clearly unjustified. It is an attempt to blackmail the government by the NLC leadership.
We still don’t know why the NLC and the TUC decided to punish an entire country of over 200 million people for a personal matter involving the NLC Chairman, Mr. Joe Ajaero, whose error in judgment led to an attack on him in Owerri while He was planning to incite Imo State workers into an unnecessary strike.
While the federal government does not tolerate any form of violence and aggression against any citizen of Nigeria, regardless of their social and economic status, it is recorded that the Inspector General of Police ordered an investigation into what happened to Mr. Ajaero while the Imo State Police Commissioner under whose supervision the incident occurred has been transferred out of the state.
Calling workers to go on a national strike over a union leader’s personal issue despite a clear court order against any industrial action amounts to an abuse of privilege. Power, at any level, should never be used to settle personal scores. Rather, it should be used to promote collective progress and advance the national interest.
Our national economy and social activities should not be affected by the personal interest of any union leader.
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This blatant disobedience of court order and lack of respect for the judiciary should not be what organized Labor would advocate.
The union movement has always been a defender of the rule of law and respect for the judiciary. It is a sad irony that the current union leaders have shown disdain and complete disregard for the court order.
We reiterate that this strike is illegal, immoral, unjustifiable and irresponsible. What the strike notice issued on Monday night after official hours suggests is that it is designed for a sinister and hidden agenda to cause undue hardship and civil unrest in our country. This is unacceptable.
Bayo Onanuga Special Advisor to the President on Information and Strategy
November 13, 2023
