- By Halimah Olamide
The Federal Government has said the declaration of a nationwide strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress is illegal and not in the interest of Nigeria.
The government is directive to workers to down tools isn nothing but “an ego tripping move.”
In a statement by the Presidency, going ahead with the strike in spite of a restraining order issued last week by Justice Benedict Backwash Kanyip of the National Industrial Court amounts to contempt.
Government, in the statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, 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,” he said
He noted that 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.
NPO Reports that the police while transferring the Commissioner of Police out of Imo state, said the transfer was not an indictment but a mere operational strategy.
The Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde was in charge of the state when the attacks on Ajaero happened.
Onanuga’s statement went further, “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.,” he said
He said the labour movement had in the past, championed of rule of law and respect for the judiciary adding that 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,” the statement concluded