The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the federal government until midnight on Monday, September 9, 2024, to address the arrest and detention of its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero.
The ultimatum was issued by the National Administrative Council (NAC) of the NLC at the end of an emergency meeting on Monday, as stated in a release signed by Deputy President Prince Adeyanju Adewale.
The NLC threatened a nationwide strike in response to what it called the “illegal arrest” of Ajaero, who was detained at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Monday while preparing to board a flight to the United Kingdom for an official assignment.
Reacting to the incident, Adeyanju Adewale condemned Ajaero’s detention as unlawful, stating it was carried out without a legal warrant or justification. He argued that Ajaero had been lawfully fulfilling his duties to represent Nigerian workers and had committed no offense to warrant such action. The NLC described his detention as a violation of workers’ rights and democratic principles, including freedom of movement and expression.
“The NLC demands the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Joe Ajaero before midnight today,” the statement read.
The Congress also placed its affiliates, state councils, civil society allies, and the Nigerian public on high alert, warning that the detention of Ajaero is an attack on the rights of all workers and citizens to organize, protest, and express themselves freely.
“The NLC will not stand by while these rights are trampled upon. This provocation is another attempt by the State to scuttle the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage,” the statement continued.
The NLC vowed to continue resisting all forms of oppression and announced that the NAC has called for an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council at 9:00 AM on September 10, 2024, to decide on further action against what it termed as “forces of retrogression.”
