The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) leadership has warned that it is prepared to embark on a fresh strike across the country in response to any attempt to arrest or detain its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, by operatives of the Nigeria Police.
The declaration was made at the union’s headquarters on Tuesday morning, following an immediate emergency meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) to deliberate on the police’s request to invite the NLC President in light of allegations concerning the financing of terrorism.
During the meeting, the NEC decided that Ajaero would accept the police’s invitation but emphasized the necessity for the union’s legal counsel to request additional time for Ajaero to be presented before the law enforcement authorities.
Deputy President of the NLC, Comrade Ado Kabiru Sani, has urged the nation’s workforce to be prepared for further instructions if the police’s actions do not align with the union’s expectations regarding Ajaero’s detention.
He said: “As a committed labour centre, we will honour the invitation of the police because we are not a faceless organization, but we are working with our lawyer for an extension of time.
“In the event that the President is arrested, all workers will down tools immediately. We should wait for further directives from our leadership.”