August 21, (THEWILL) – The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has threatened to shut down the power sector if the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, is arrested.
The threat follows alleged criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony and Cybercrime levelled against Ajaero by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
THEWILL reports that the NPF, through the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), had on Monday, August 19, invited Ajaero for questioning over the allegations.
NUEE’s Acting General Secretary, Igwebike Dominic, while reacting in a statement, said the union noted with “utter dismay the political machinations surrounding the police invitation of its General Secretary-cum-President of Nigeria Labour Congress – Comrade Joe Ajaero as a purported fall out of the politically-motivated investigation into an alleged trump up charges of terrorism financing, cybercrime, subversion, criminal conspiracy and treasonable felony against him”.
“This is not only embarrassing but childish and clueless for the Federal Government of Nigeria to take to the antics of witch-hunting, harassment, intimidation and name-calling instead of coming out openly to apologise to the Congress and its leadership for the unlawful invasion of NLC National headquarters a few days ago.
“The choice by the Government to stifle labour and free speech in the country as a tool to compel Nigerians to continue to suffer in silence in the face of government policies that were not favourable to the people was quite deplorable.
“Those in government, especially elected leaders, should be mindful of their actions in times like this if they have the love of the country at heart.
“It is painful to see this happening in a democracy where it is supposed to be ‘Government of the people, by the people and for the people’,” he said, lamenting that what Nigerians have is simply “the government of the selected few, for themselves against the people”.
The NUEE’s Acting General Secretary said this “blatant abuse of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and International Labour Organisation Conventions, especially conventions 87 and 98, is unacceptable and would be vehemently resisted”.
The union condemned in its entirety what it called the government’s interference in the Labour movement through the weapons of intimidation and official harassment of labour leaders in the country, warning that in the event that Comrade Ajaero is arrested, it will have no choice but to go with the NLC directives.
The NUEE called on its national, zonal, state and chapter leadership to commence immediate mobilisation of their teaming members in Generation, Transmission and Distribution to withdraw their services in the event that Ajaero is arrested.
It also called on the Federal Government to tread with caution as the entire Nation was angry and heated up already because of “current hunger and hyper-inflation”.
“The rights of citizens must be respected and guaranteed if the country must move forward,” it added.
