Tinubu Rejects NLC, TUC Nationwide Strike, Blames Ajaero for Imo Assault: An Abuse of Privilege
Tinubu Rejects NLC, TUC Nationwide Strike, Blames Ajaero for Imo Assault: An Abuse of Privilege
The federal government has doomed the decision of organized labour to start a nationwide strike.
The presidency said the step was an attempt by the NLC and the TUC to blackmail President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Tinubu’s assistant, Bayo Onanuga, described the action as indefensible, noting it would cause untold hardship in the country.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led federal government has criticised the recent decision of organized labour.
The President faulted Labour over its directive on a nationwide strike due to the assault on Joe Ajaero, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president.
President Tinubu tackles NLC, and TUC as they call for nationwide
In a statement appended by Tinubu’s assistant, Bayo Onanuga, and distributed on his Twitter page(now X) on Monday evening, November 13, the president outlined the decision of the NLC and its Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart as “clearly unwarranted”.
Bayo said:
“It is a move to blackmail the government by the leadership of the NLC”.
Onanuga indicted Ajaero of pursuing an interest, which led to his assault in Imo State.
He also noted that the industrial action is indefensible as it would lead to undue hardship in the country.
Part of his statement is:
“We are still at a loss as to the reason the NLC and TUC decided to punish a whole country of over 200 million people over a personal matter involving the NLC President, Mr. Joe Ajaero whose error of judgment led to the assault on him in Owerri while he was planning to incite the workers in Imo state into a needless strike.
“We reiterate that this strike action is illegal, immoral, unjustifiable and irresponsible. With the strike notice issued Monday night after official hours suggests it was designed for a sinister and hidden agenda to cause undue hardship and cause civil disturbance in our country.”
Organized Labour Begins Indefinite Strike
It was reported earlier that the NLC and the TUC directed their members to begin a nationwide strike over the beating of the NLC president, Joe Ajaero.
The unions directed their affiliates to stick to the resolution of the National Executive Council of the NLC and implement it from Tuesday, November 14.
The TUC president in the person of Festus Osifo, who addressed journalists on Monday, November 12, revealed that the nationwide industrial action would continue until “the government at all levels wake up to their responsibility”.
Uzodimma Shades NLC President, Joe Ajaero
The governor of Imo State and also the winner of the Imo governorship election held on Saturday, November 11, Hope Uzodimma, secretly shaded the NLC president in his acceptance speech.
Earlier on Sunday, November 12, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared and returned Uzodimma as the winner of the Saturday poll after he secured victory in all the 27 local governments in Imo State.
He appreciated the leadership of the NLC and their counterpart in the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for not inky supporting him but also coming out with their members to vote for him. He said that those who deployed to stage protest against him were defeated and their “evil conspiracy”.
