The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has issued a stern warning, threatening to shut down the power sector nationwide if the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, is arrested by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).
This comes after the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the police summoned Ajaero for questioning regarding charges of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, cybercrime, subversion, and treasonable felony.
The letter of invitation, dated August 19, 2024, was issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Police at IRT, instructing Ajaero to appear at their office on August 20.
The police also warned that failure to comply with the invitation would result in his immediate arrest.
NUEE has however condemned the accusations, dismissing them as “trumped-up charges” aimed at silencing Ajaero, who has been vocal in his stance against government policies affecting the labor sector.
The union has vowed to respond with a shutdown of the power sector if any action is taken against its leader.
Reacting in a statement, NUEE’s Acting General Secretary, Igwebike Dominic, among others, said, “NUEE notes with utter dismay the political machinations surrounding the police invitation of its General Secretary-cum-President of Nigeria Labour Congress – Comrade Joe Ajaero as a purported fall out of the politically-motivated investigation into an alleged trump up charges of terrorism financing, cybercrime, subversion, criminal conspiracy and treasonable felony against him.
“It is not only embarrassing, but childish and clueless for the Federal Government of Nigeria to take to the antics of witch-hunting, harassment, intimidation and name-calling instead of coming out openly to apologize to the Congress and its leadership for the unlawful invasion of NLC National Headquarters few days ago.
“The choice by the Government to stifle labour and free speech in the Country as a tool to compel Nigerians to continue to suffer in silence in the face of government policies that are not favorable to the people is quite deploring.
“Those in government especially elected leaders should be mindful of their actions in times like this, if they have the love of the Country at heart.
“It is so painful to see this happening in a democracy where it is supposed to be ‘Government of the people, by the people and for the people’.
“However, what we have is simply the government of the selected few, for themselves against the people.
“This blatant abuse of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and International Labour Organization Conventions especially convention 87 and 98 is unacceptable and will be vehemently resisted.
“The Union condemned in its entirety Government’s interference in the Labour movement through the weapons of intimidation and official harassment of Labour Leaders, in the Country and warned that in the event that Comrade Ajaero is arrested, we will have no choice but to go with the NLC directives.
“Thus, we are using this medium to call on our National, Zonal, State and Chapter leadership to commence immediate mobilization of our teaming members in Generation, Transmission and Distribution to withdrawal our services in the event that Comrade Joe Ajaero is arrested.
“We are calling on the Federal Government to thread with caution as the entire Nation is angry and heated up already because of the hunger and hyper-inflation in the land, a situation that is fast uniting the poor to stand up for their rights and demand for good governance.
“It will pay the Government and the people if the Government should face the issues causing poverty and hardship in the land squarely and stop the pretentious chasing of shadows which it is currently doing.
“The rights of citizens must be respected and guaranteed if the country must move forward.”
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