The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused the federal government of attempting to falsely implicate its leadership by associating them with the recent hunger protest. The union claims the government is deliberately trying to tarnish their reputation.
This comes after security operatives stormed the NLC headquarters in Abuja when workers had already left for the day. Following public outcry, Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, defended the action, stating, “One of the protesters was traced to Labour House. I don’t understand the uproar about raiding Labour House when the police did not raid it. We only targeted the shop used by an individual as a front. We have been monitoring his activities, including his involvement in the Sudan crisis, and he is now mobilizing people in Nigeria to destabilize the country.”
In response, NLC leaders held a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, where they accused the police of spreading falsehoods. Speaking through its spokesperson, Benson Upah, the NLC claimed that the government aims to implicate Labour leaders and interfere in the union’s internal affairs.
“We want to make it clear that while we are known for organizing barricades, we did not participate in the #EndHunger protest. The government should not drag us into something we had no involvement in. We also demand the release of those in custody, including Comrade Opalua Eleojo, a NUEE executive who was arrested at a social gathering in Abuja. We urge the government to cease further acts of intimidation against the NLC and the Nigerian people,” the NLC stated.
The union also accused the government of trying to suppress opposition and force a leadership change within the NLC. They highlighted that the Registrar of Trade Unions, under directives from higher authorities, sent a threatening letter regarding their relationship with the Labour Party, citing specific sections of the Trade Unions Act.
“In their efforts to silence us, they ignored the provisions of sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution, the Supreme Court ruling on the right of public servants to hold political views, the African Charter on People and Human Rights, and ILO Conventions 87 and 98. The government is also making attempts to reduce the tenure of trade union leaders to just two years. This is a blatant interference in the internal affairs of trade unions, violating Labour Law and ILO Conventions,” the NLC concluded.
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