The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has called for the immediate and unconditional release of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero.
Naija News reported earlier that Ajaero was arrested on Monday morning by the Department of State Services (DSS) operatives.
The NLC president was whisked away from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport while preparing to board a flight to the United Kingdom for an official engagement.
According to reports, Ajaero was en route to participate in the Trade Union Congress (TUC) conference taking place today in the UK.
Reacting to the development in a statement issued by its Acting General Secretary, Igwebike Dominic, NUEE placed workers in the nation’s power sector on high alert for any potential developments while it asked for the unconditional release of its General Secretary.
The statement read, “We are perplexed with the information that Joe Ajaero who is the General Secretary of National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, and President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was whisked away by agents of the Nigerian state while on his way to the United Kingdom on the invitation of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, of Britain.
“Joe Ajaero has been detained and treated like a fugitive that he is not without access to his lawyers, families and colleagues. This brazen act of intimidation and harassment is a violation of his fundamental rights and freedom as a Nigerian citizen.
“We are demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Joe Ajaero and we are saying to the government to desist from its unscrupulous harassment of labour leaders and Nigerian workers who speak out on the crushing hardship they are battling with caused by the irresponsible acts of the government that has turned deaf ears to the groaning of the people that they are governing.
“The last we know, Nigeria is still a democratic nation, so why is the government witch-hunting and trying to silence those who speak out to protest their deplorable state of living and economic hardship?
“Joe Ajaero represents the Nigerian workers and the common man on the street. This act of the government signifies trampling on the masses and is tantamount to beating a child and preventing the child from crying. An injury to Joe Ajaero is an injury to all Nigerian workers and Electricity employees in particular.
“Nigeria is our collective country; our leaders should not make us live like slaves that cannot express themselves in our country. We demand unequivocal and unconditional release of Com. Joe Ajaero without any harm. We are using this medium to put all our members on alert for further directives.”
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