In a resolute stance against the rising culture of violence and impunity in Nigeria, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has embarked on an ongoing strike to air their disapproval.
Benson Upah, the Head of Information and Public Affairs of the NLC, emphasized in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, that the strike is not merely a response to a private matter, urging Nigerians to dismiss such misleading narratives being propagated by government representatives.
According to Upah, it is crucial for Nigerians to resist the diversionary tactics of the government’s “private matter” narrative, and focus on addressing the substantive issues at hand.
He stressed the sanctity of personal liberty in a thriving democracy, highlighting the violent and brutal violation of an individual’s rights in Imo, as a point of concern.
“The NLC and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria are using this strike as a platform to challenge the recurring acts of violence, assault, and impunity perpetrated against individuals and organizations by the Nigeria Police Force or under their tacit approval,” he stated.
Pointing to specific incidents, Upah cited the forceful seizure of the offices of NURTW, RTEAN, and NUPENG by the police, as clear examples of the prevailing impunity under the current administration.
“This strike is a bold reproach to the reprehensible culture of impunity that is fast becoming synonymous with this government,” declared Upah, the NLC Head of Media.
Upah also highlighted the arrest, beating, and torture of Comrade Joe Ajaero as a disturbing escalation in the pattern of harassment and intimidation, underscoring the need for the labour movement to take a stand through the ongoing strike.
He warned that the erosion of personal liberty through the misuse of state power by its agents marks the onset of tyranny, stressing that the critics of labour unions could themselves fall victim to similar oppression in the future.
“We insist that President Bola Tinubu’s government must put an end to this growing pattern of harassment, intimidation, violence, and terror!”
“We will persist until the government commits to upholding the rule of law,” he affirmed, “Our objectives are clear, and we do not seek validation from government proxies parading as our allies.”
He concluded the statement with a stark warning, “The encroachment on democratic space poses an imminent and perilous threat that demands our collective vigilance.”
