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Amid allegations of being beaten to stupor by a combine team of security agencies, the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero has been arrested in Owerri Imo State capital by men of the Nigeria Police Force during the ongoing protest in the State.
The arrest came shortly after a group of miscreants descended on protesters, smashing vehicles and inflicting wounds on labour members.
According to NLC officials in Owerri, the whereabouts of the NLC President is unknown as heavily armed security personnel took him away.
Recall that NLC in Abuja on Sunday said it would begin protests in Imo State from November 1 over alleged violation and abuse of rights and privileges of workers by the State government.
Ajaero had said that “NLC was deeply concerned about the persistent and egregious violations of the rights and privileges of workers in Imo State by the State Government.”
“Despite our repeated efforts to engage in constructive dialogue and reach amicable agreements, the Imo State Government has become a habitual and serial breaker of these agreements, continuing to trample on the rights of workers in the state.
“As a result, we are left with no choice but to embark on mass protests and industrial actions beginning on the 1st day of November 2023.
“This is to demonstrate our outrage and stop the continuing violation of the rights and privileges of workers in the state,
The NLC president added that the protest was imperative as the government of the state had refused to implement previous agreements.
According to Ajaero, the government has repeatedly reneged on agreements, most notably the accord reached on January 9th, 2021, between the Government and Organised Labour.
“On outstanding salary arrears, shockingly, some workers have been subjected to a staggering 20 months of unpaid salaries under the unfounded label of ‘ghost workers’.
“Unjust declaration of workers as ghost workers. Approximately 11,000 hardworking individuals have been unjustly branded as ghost workers, their salaries diverted even while they diligently carried out their duties,” he said.
Confirming the arrest, the Head of Information and Publicity at the NLC, Benson Upah said that Ajaero was arrested by the Police.
He said: “The NLC President was abducted by men suspected to Policemen armed to their teeth at the Imo state NLC secretariat on Wednesday as we are about to commence our lawful protest against the violation of trade Union rights of the workers.”
Also, NLC Deputy General Secretary and Chief of Staff to the NLC president, Chris Onyeka said that he was standing with Ajaero when he was brutalized and arrested.
“As workers were gathering to protest their maltreatment by the state government in Owerri, Imo state and the President of NLC was about addressing the workers, the Police came amidst attacks by thugs to arrest Ajaero.
“Thugs first attacked and dragged Ajaero from the platform before Police came to arrest along with another senior official of the NLC,” he added.
