November 15, (THEWILL) – The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has appealed to members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to suspend the ongoing nationwide strike.
THEWILL reports that organised labour, on Tuesday, commenced an indefinite strike to protest the assault and brutalisation of Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of NLC.
Ajaero was on Wednesday, November 1, hospitalised at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri, after he was brutalized by suspected agents of the state and security operatives in Imo State.
The NLC President, along with other national leaders of the Union and TUC, were at the State Secretariat in Owerri to protest among other grievances, the backlog of unpaid salaries and allowances, pensions, gratuities, and non-compliance with the National Minimum Wage Act.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, by Zakari U Mijinyawa, Strategic Communication at the NSA Office, Ribadu said some arrests have been made while the investigation continued on the assault.
The statement reads: “The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) is concerned by the declaration of a nationwide strike by the leadership of the Organised Labour led by the NLC and TUC.
“The NSA is particularly worried about the implications of the strike action on the livelihood of ordinary Nigerians and its potential impact on economic security and other strategic national interests.
“As attested by the NLC leadership, the NSA immediately intervened on learning about the travails of the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joseph Ajaero, who was assaulted in Owerri, Imo State.
“The NSA regrets the incident and condemns it in its entirety as it was against the rule of law and the principles of freedom of association and expression subscribed to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration.
“The Federal Government will never condone such an act.
“As a fallout of the incident, relevant authorities were directed to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the assault and bring to book the culprits.
“Available update indicates that some arrests have already been made in this regard. The outcome of the investigation will be made public as soon as it is concluded.
“The Federal Government, through the Office of the NSA, therefore, appeals to the labour leadership to call off the current strike action and allow the dialogue process underway to be exhausted.”
