The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has directed its affiliates members and indeed all workers in the country to immediately shutdown the economy if the Nigerian Police arrest the Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero.
Recall that the Police had last night invited the NLC President to its headquarters for questioning over the allegation of involvement in terrorism financing among others.
The development led to the convocation of emergency National Executive Council, NEC, meeting at the Labour House where the Congress resolved to write to the Police for extension of time to enable it consult with its lawyers.
Briefing the workers, who had assembled at the Labour House in solidarity with the Congress President and to follow him to the Police headquarters, the NLC Deputy President, Kabiru Ado Sani, said that the invitation to Ajaero was invitation to workers.
According to him, “At the end of the meeting, we reached some certain resolutions. Part of the resolutions is that, as a committed labour center that we agreed or that we abide by the rule of law and due process.
“We will honor the invitation of the Nigerian police, because we are not faseless organization, but we believe that we need an extension of time, after consultation with our lawyers, because this invitation was extended to the Congress President yesterday and asked to report at the police by 10am today.
“So we are already working with our lawyers to look for extension of time, but this does not legitimize the charges by the Nigerian police to the Congress leadership, and secondly, we resolve that in an event our Congress President was arrested or detained at any moment, we put our affiliate on red alert to mobilize our membership across the country, that all workers in this country should down tool their services.
“This is the resolution because Comrades, this organization belongs to all of us, therefore we should do everything possible to safeguard the safety of this organization. We therefore, thank you very much, and you shoulwait for further directives by our leadership.
“Whatever happens, we will communicate your leadership, and your leadership will communicate you. So we urge you to remain calm and go back peacefully to our working place and await further directives.”
