THE Joint National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) Wednesday night suspended the ongoing strike action embarked upon in protest over the battering of the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero in Owerri, Imo State capital, among other pending issues.
The strike was suspended following the intervention of the Federal Government through the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
The unions said the suspension followed the intervention of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
It was gathered that the meeting, which commenced at a few minutes past 7 pm lasted for close to one hour during which various affiliates and state chapters reviewed its outcome held between the leaders of the organised labour and Ribadu.
The suspension of the strike action was announced by the National Deputy Vice-President of the TUC, Tommy Etim.
“The NEC of the NLC and the TUC have suspended the strike. We did this based on our trust for the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who gave us his words,” he said.
The labour leaders met with Ribadu alongside the Minister of Labour, Simon Lalong, at the Office of the NSA on Wednesday afternoon.
The NSA had announced that the individuals responsible for the brutalisation of Ajaero had been arrested.
Eighteen-Eleven Media reports that Organised Labour had listed five conditions before the suspension of action. The conditions include:
- The arrest and prosecution of Chinasa Nwaneri, a Special Adviser to the Imo governor on special duties who allegedly led the attack on the NLC president and other workers in the state.
- All police officers as well as thugs involved in the attack on the labour leader should be arrested, prosecuted and dismissed.
- The arrest, prosecution and dismissal of the Chief Security Officer in Imo State Government House, simply identified as SP Shaba. “He led, participated and provided cover for thugs to brutalise workers in Imo State,” the NLC alleged.
- The arrest, prosecution, and dismissal of an unnamed police area commander who, it claimed, oversaw the brutalization of the NLC president and other workers in the state.
- Ahmed Barde, the former Commissioner of Police in Imo State, be investigated and prosecuted for his alleged involvement in the assault on the NLC chief.
Eighteen-Eleven Media