Ahead his meeting with the Nigerian Police this week, President of Nigeria Labour Congress , NLC, Joe Ajaero, has declared that the Union cannot be intimidated by the Nigerian government.
The NLC president made the declaration on Monday while speaking with some union leaders in Lagos.
Ajaero, said he has decide to honour the NPF invitation on September 25, barely few days after he was arrested and detained by the Department of State Services, DSS, a development that attracted local and international backlash for the government.
Not a few have criticised the clampdown on the union and other dissenting voices by the federal government using state security agencies.
The NLC leader however said the union leadership cannot be cowed in the face of intimidation by those in government, he urged the leaders of the union to be steadfast in their resolve to fight fort heir members, adding that there’s strength in unity.
He accused the security agencies of trying to rope in the union leaders, noting that they will fail in such venture because the leadership of NLC are men and women of integrity.
He expressed gratitude to Nigerians, local and international organisations who stood solidly behind the union despite alleged intimidation by the government
He said, “On August 29, we honoured the summons of the state to answer to some allegations and on the 25th of this month, we shall honour another one, this time at the police headquarters in Abuja.
“Let me say the strength of our movement lies not only in our resolve but also in the integrity with which we conduct ourselves.
”Our hands, must remain unsullied, our hearts pure, so that when the enemies of our movement come, as they will;, they will find nothing to use against us. Comrades, you have seen it firsthand.
“As we, therefore, prepare for the struggles ahead, remember they can imprison our bodies, but they cannot imprison our spirit.
”They can throw every obstacle on our path, but they cannot destroy our unity. We must be vigilant, united and ready to stand firm in the face of whatever may come.
“We are especially thankful to the International Labour Organization, ILO, the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC, ITUC-Africa, Public Services International, PSI, Congress of South African Trade Unions, COSATU, the Trade Union Congress, TUC, of the UK, IndustriALL Global Union, the German Federation of Trade Unions, LO Norway, and all the patriotic Nigerians.
“Your collective voices condemned the actions of the government against the NLC and its“leadership, and for this, we remain profoundly grateful,” Ajaero stated.
The magazine reported that the NLC leader was arrested on September 9 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by the DSS on his way to the United Kingdom to attend an Labour event. He was released barely 24 later following serious pressure on the government by local and international human rights organisations.
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