In a continuation of the nationwide industrial action declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Organised Labour asserts that it has not received any court order from the Federal Government or its affiliates, urging them to halt the strike initiated on Tuesday.
TUC President Festus Osifo, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, criticized the government for consistently violating court orders. Osifo referenced the case of former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele, alleging that the Federal Government and the Department of State Services (DSS) disregarded court directives for Emefiele’s release during his five-month detention.
“Yes, we don’t have a service on the court order but we have a government today who perpetually does not obey court orders. When DSS was holding Emefiele, how many court orders were passed for Emefiele to be released? Countless number of them,” Osifo said.
Osifo emphasized that once the unions receive a court order related to the ongoing strike, they will consult with their legal representatives to make a decision.
“We have a state that refuses to obey court orders. You now expect others to obey court orders but once we see it, we are responsible institutions, we will not say because the Federal Government continuously violate court institution, we will examine it and if it is the right thing for us to do, yes, we will.”
He rebuked the government for frequently seeking restraining orders instead of engaging with the unions to address their concerns, asserting that this approach does not foster good labour relations.
Despite the ongoing strike, the Presidency and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation criticized Labour for proceeding with the indefinite action, citing a restraining order issued by Justice Benedict Backwash Kanyip of the National Industrial Court. They urged Labour to respect court orders.
The nationwide strike, initiated on Tuesday, is driven by the assault on NLC President Joe Ajaero in Owerri on November 1, 2023. The attack occurred as he prepared to lead a protest against alleged anti-labour practices by the Governor Hope Uzodimma-led administration.
The strike has led to the shutdown of various government-owned facilities, including public schools, state High Courts, and State Houses of Assembly.
In some capital cities, banks have closed their doors to customers, redirecting transactions to ATM terminals.
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While several states experienced full compliance with the industrial action, some witnessed partial adherence as certain workers continued their regular operations.
Osifo demanded the apprehension of those responsible for the assault on Joe Ajaero, characterizing the incident as “state-sponsored terrorism.” The labour leader emphasized the importance of holding the attackers accountable for their actions.
“Ajaero is an individual but he represents an institution. NLC is an institution that is rooted in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Today, for example, if you have the President of a country assaulted in another country, it will lead to even war.
“The people that brutalise him were led by the police and the police is a national institution, Since this as happened, there is no single statement from the Federal Government until yesterday (Tuesday). For us, it is fundamentally wrong,” he said.
“The Nigeria Police led the brutalization of Comrade Joe Ajaero. So, we want those people to be apprehended. We know their names, in fact, some of the people that led this work for the Imo State government. The Area Commander that led this must be apprehended, this is not difficult to achieve.
“When we started pushing all these, there was no single comment from the Nigerian state but since yester (Tuesday), we have been having some conversations. Once we progress on those conversations, and we see clearly that they are serious to bring these people to book, that they are serious to hold them to account, then, of course, we will let go.”
Following the incident and leading up to the Imo State governorship poll on November 11, 2023, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun reassigned Mohammed Barde, the Commissioner of Police in the state during the incident, initiating an investigation into the assault on the NLC leader. Nevertheless, the TUC leader expressed skepticism about the IGP’s inquiry, urging the National Security Adviser (NSA) to take charge of the investigation.
Osifo said
“The office of the NSA should lead this investigation; it should not even be the Inspector General of Police because in this particular subject, we also feel that the IGP is compromised.
“So, let there be a team of DSS, a team of all the state agencies that is going to lead this investigation, because if you leave it only for the Inspector General of Police, I can tell you nothing is going to come forth because he was there that day in the state when this matter was even reported to them. They were all in Owerri. They were even in the same hotel with our comrades in Owerri, they did not swing into action, they knew clearly what has happened.”
