The Presidency has criticized the decision by the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress to embark on strike over the assault on the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, saying it was not only illegal but also an attempt to blackmail the government.
This was made known in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Monday.
He explained that the Federal Government was still at a loss as to why labour would punish a whole country of over 200million people over a personal matter involving the NLC President.
The unions, on Tuesday last week, declared that they will commence a nation wide strike on 14 November to protest Mr Ajaero’s battering in Owerri, the Imo State capital the previous week.
Mr Onanuga said although the government would not tolerste any form of violence and assault on any Nigerian, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had ordered investigation into the matter.
“While the federal government does not condone any form of violence and assault on any citizen of Nigeria regardless of his or her social and economic status, it is on record that the Inspector General of Police has ordered investigation into what happened to Mr. Ajaero while the Commissioner of Police in Imo State under whose watch the incident happened has been transferred out of the state,” the statement said.
Onanuga said, “calling out workers on a national strike over a personal issue of a labour leader despite a clear court order against any industrial action amounts to an abuse of privilege. Power at any level should never be used to settle personal scores. Rather, it should be used to promote collective progress and advance national interest.”
He noted that the planned strike is immoral, unjustifiable and irresponsible.
The office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, similarly, on Monday, advised the unions against strike, asking them to respect the subsisting court order retraining them from embarking on the planned industrial action.
The statement read in full, “We notice with dismay the decision by the Nigerian Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress to call out workers to commence a strike action from midnight, despite a restraining order issued last week by Justice Benedict Backwash Kanyip of the National Industrial Court.
“This decision by the NLC and TUC other than being an ego tripping move is clearly unwarranted. It is an attempt to blackmail the government by the leadership of the NLC.
“We are still at a loss as to why the NLC and TUC decided to punish a whole country of over 200million people over a personal matter involving the NLC President, Mr. Joe Ajaero, whose error of judgment led to assault on him in Owerri while he was planning to incite the workers in Imo State into a needless strike.
“While the Federal government does not condone any form of violence and assault on any citizen of Nigeria regardless of his or her social and economic status, it is on record that the Inspector General of Police has ordered investigation into what happened to Mr. Ajaero while the Commissioner of Police in Imo State under whose watch the incident happened has been transferred out of the state.
“Calling out workers on a national strike over a personal issue of a labour leader despite a clear court order against any industrial action amounts to an abuse of privilege. Power at any level should never be used to settle personal scores. Rather, it should be used to promote collective progress and advance national interest.
“Our national economy and social activities should not suffer because of the personal interest of any labour leader.
“This flagrant disobedience to court order and lack of respect for the judiciary should not be what the organised Labour would champion.
“The labour movement has always been a champion of rule of law and respect for the judiciary. It is a sad irony that the current labour leaders have shown disdain and utter disregard for court order.
“We reiterate that this strike action is illegal, immoral, unjustifiable and irresponsible. What the strike notice issued Monday night after official hours suggests is it’s designed for a sinister and hidden agenda to cause undue hardship and cause civil disturbance in our country. This is unacceptable.”
