The National Union of Electricity Employees, (NUEE) has put its workers on red alert following the arrest of the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Joe Ajaero, on Monday by the operatives of the Department of the State Services.
It was learnt that the labour leader was picked up at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on his way to the London to attend the Trade Union Congress conference which begins today.
Confirming the development in a post via its official X handle, the NLC described Ajaero’s arrest an “assault on Nigerian workers.”
“The assault on Nigerian workers continues. President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, was arrested and abducted by men of the DSS at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, this morning on his way to attend an official engagement of TUC United Kingdom, and he is now detained at the office of the NSA.
“This intimidation and assault must stop,” the labour centre said.
Reacting to the development, NUEE said in a statement by acting national secretary, Mr Igwebike Dominic, that “an injury to Joe Ajaero is an injury to all Nigerian workers and electricity employees in particular.
The union demanded an “unequivocal and unconditional release of…Ajaero without any harm meted to him,” adding “we are using this medium to put all our members on alert for further directives.”
The statement reads: “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 that 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 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 meted to him. We are using this medium to put all our members on alert for further directives.”
