By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The Organized Labour has warned that it may be left with no other alternative than to shut down economic and social activities in Rivers state should President Bola Tinubu fail to lift the State of Emergency imposed on the state within a reasonable period of time.
The Source reports that the President had on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, suspended the democratically elected Governor of the State, his Deputy ,and members of the State House of Assembly, and proclaimed an initial six months State of Emergency.
However, the action has elicited widespread condemnation both within and outside the Country, and even across party lines, with not a few dubbing it as a flagrant assault on rule of law and democracy.
So far, Government’s defence of the exercise has been drowned by the National and Global anger that has continued to trail the President’s action.
The Organized Labour in Rivers State said they are prepared to explore actions that may have serious consequences on the national economy and other activities should the President continue to ignore popular calls for the rescinding of the emergency rule.
The Labour Unions’ threat is coming barely 24 hours after the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, vowed not to recognize what it tagged an “unconstitutional arrangement in Rivers state”.
This is even as the umbrella body of Nigeria legal practitioners, called on the President to, immediately, reverse the Emergency Rule in the State.
In a statement jointly issued on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 by Alex Agwanwor and Ikechukwu Onyefuru, Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, Rivers State Chapter respectively, the Organized Labour strongly condemned the President’s action.
The Labour Leaders expressed serious concern about both the short and long term effects of such a glaring unpopular and unconstitutional decision on the State.
They described the suspension of the Governor, his Deputy and Legislators as an exercise carried out prematurely, and without any convincing bases.
According to the Organized Labour, the people of Rivers will not tolerate any attempt to unduly undermine their constitutionally guaranteed right to freely choose their leaders.
The Labour Leaders, therefore, noted that the action taken by the President to suspend the State Governor and other elected officials in the State, is an act calculated to infringe on the right of the people of Rivers state.
They stressed the chain of hardship which the State of Emergency has so far inflicted on Local Council workers, many of whom they claimed have been unable to receive their salaries.
The State of Emergency, the Labour Leaders insisted, could trigger some serious economic consequences both for Rivers state and the country if not urgently reversed.
This is more so, as they noted, the country is already grappling with myriad of challenges including spiraling inflationary trend, Naira devaluation, high exchange rates, rising unemployment, and high cost of living.
The organized labour emphasized the urgent need for the Federal Government to place the safety, welfare of the citizens, above political interests .
They warned that it will be counterproductive for the Government to prioritize political maneuvering over the wellbeing of the already suffering citizens of Rivers state.
They called on the President, the National Assembly, and the Judiciary to explore all possible steps towards overturning the emergency rule situation in the State.
However, the Labour Unions, insisted that failure by all the relevant authorities to end the clearly unjust State of Emergency in the State, could lead to the escalation of the already tense political atmosphere in the state.
The Labour Unions warned that they will not hesitate to take actions if their demand is not met within a reasonable time-frame.
