The leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has warned of a nationwide strike if the police detain its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero.
The warning was issued on Tuesday morning, August 20, at the NLC headquarters following an urgent National Executive Council (NEC) meeting. The conference was called hours after the Nigeria Police Department summoned Comrade Ajaero for questioning in connection with charges of terrorist financing.
During the discussion, the NEC agreed that Ajaero should respond to the police invitation. They did, however, order their legal adviser to request an extension for Ajaero’s appearance before the authorities, allowing him more time to prepare.
Comrade Ado Kabiru Sani, the Deputy President of the NLC, urged the nation’s workforce to remain prepared for further instructions. He emphasized that if the police take actions contrary to their expectations, such as detaining Ajaero, the union would consider mobilizing a nationwide strike in response.
“As a committed labor center, we will honor the invitation of the police because we are not a faceless organization, but we are working with our lawyer for an extension of time. If the President is arrested, all workers will down tools immediately. We should wait for further directives from our leadership.”Sani said
