The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a strong statement to President Bola Tinubu, asserting that the labour union will not be swayed by government pressure.
This declaration was made by NLC Secretary General, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, on Thursday at the Labour House in Abuja, where members had gathered in solidarity with NLC President Joe Ajaero, who is currently facing allegations of terrorism financing.
Ugboaja emphasized the integrity and resilience of the labour movement, highlighting that labour leaders have never resorted to exile or organized violent protests. He stated that the current leadership of the NLC will not be intimidated by the government.
“We have never had a rally where a shop was broken into. Has any shop ever been broken into across the Federation? And since 1978 till date, we have had more than a hundred rallies. No common incident of a shop being broken into. So comrades, we are not mad people. We are workers,” Ugboaja said.
He further noted that no labour leader has ever gone into exile since 1978, underscoring the commitment and steadfastness of the labour movement. “Has any labour leader since 1978 gone on exile? No. So let them be told, we will not run. Nobody, we be fighting labour out of Nigeria. 50 million cases, 500 charges, we will take it standing. We will not bow before anybody. We will not,” he declared.
Ugboaja addressed the mixed perceptions of the NLC’s stance, where the government views Ajaero as a hard nut while ordinary people perceive him as weak. “Government sees Ajaero as a hard nut, ordinary people feel Ajaero is weak. Where do we stand? So the best you can do is be a trade union leader, and that is what we are. So let’s not be misconstrued,” he explained.
The NLC’s stance is clear: despite the allegations and government pressure, the union remains unwavering in its commitment to the welfare and rights of the Nigerian people.
