By Olawale Lamina
The Democratic Front, TDF, has expressed deep shock and concern over the threat of a nationwide strike issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the aftermath of a Police invitation on its President, Joe Ajaero, while its affiliate group, The Democratic Front, TDF, has equally condemned the labour union for resorting to blackmailing the government with the threat to shut down the economy for selfish and unwarranted reasons, which detract from the workers welfare.
Despite their separate statements, the groups’ position aligned in roundly criticizing the NLC for issuing a threat against the police investigation on the allegations of terrorism financing levelled against the labour leader.
TDF on its own part, stated in a statement signed by its Chairman, Mallam Danjuma Muhammad, and the Secretary, Chief Wale Adedayo, that it was unpatriotic for NLC to resort to threats to block a legitimate police investigation.
“We are shocked by the unpatriotic behavior of the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) with regard to the effort of security agencies to investigate allegations of criminal misdemeanor against a tenant in the Pascal Bafyau House in Abuja.
“It is rather painful to see a select few individuals that are entrusted with the moral and official responsibility to represent the collective interests of great Nigerian workers embark on a dramatic and questionable move to thwart legitimate investigations aimed at uncovering the illegal activities of a foreign citizen operating from the same building as the NLC.
“We understandably agree to a large extent, that the NLC leadership do have some moral and legal obligations towards its tenants but we equally acknowledge that the said obligations certainly does not include the act of aiding a suspect to evade legitimate investigations by security agencies.
“Their decision to raise false alarm against the security agents who went on coordinated operations in the complex, directly sabotages the very interest of the average Nigerian worker which they claim to represent, and also portrays the nation in bad light.
“Most nauseating and asinine is the NLC threat of a nation-wide strike action over a legitimate security operation conducted on the 2nd floor of the Pascal Bafyau House, which coincidentally host the NLC Secretariat on the 10th floor.
“The unwarranted threat reveals an appalling insight into the demoralizing level of ignominy, confusion and indignity which the Ajaero- led NLC has plunged labour unionism in Nigeria.
“Never in the history of the NLC has the use of strike action been so debased and misutilized like it is being done under Joe Ajaero.
“We recall the glorious era of Pa Michael Imoudu, Hassan Sumonu, Ali Ciroma, Pascal Bafyau, and Adams Oshiomhole, etc. Never were Nigerians entertained to the impudence of declaring a nationwide strike to obstruct the investigation of a foreigner over a national security breach.
“We therefore call on Nigerians to condemn and reject the postulations of Mr. Joe Ajaero, regarding the ongoing investigation of the occupant of the 2nd floor of Pascal Bafyau House in Abuja.
“We believe that the leadership of the NLC have a lot of explanations to make on why it seems to be crying more than the bereaved over an incidence that practically has no nexus with labour related issues, or the usual government-labour face-off, the statement read.
TDF called on the security agencies to continue their investigations in good faith regardless of the hoopla and blackmail being raised by the NLC leadership and their cohorts.
Similarly, The Tinubu Stakeholders Forum ,TSF, condemned the NLC’s action and stated that the union packed any basis to issue any strike threats whatsoever over security concerns being looked into by the police.
The group, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Ahmad Sajoh and the Secretary, Afolabi Joshua, querried the basis for the NLC to issue a strike threat over a strictly security concern which had no bearing on the workforce.
TSF explained by stating that, “The recent threat by the National Executive Council of one of the apex labour centres in Nigeria speaks volumes about how criminality is being condoned and gradually becoming a norm in the country.
“For us, it beggars belief that the power of strike is being used to oppose the legitimate demand by security operatives for the Nigeria Labour Congress to account to the country on matters of national security.
“To put the matter in context, Nigerians need to understand the circumstances that led to inviting the NLC leadership to answer questions relating to an alleged security breach within their premises.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Labour House otherwise called Pascal Bafyau House is in the custody of the NLC as the landlord but it is also a matter of fact that several other tenants are occupying the spaces within the complex on rental basis.
“Ordinarily when a tenant is involved in a matter that is considered a breach of the extant laws of the land, the location of such persons do not provide immunity from arrest or apprehension except if it is a foreign embassy which the Labour House cannot claim to be.
“So, it is perfectly legitimate for security agencies to ask a landlord to clarify matters related to a tenant who is under investigation.
“There is nothing wrong with that. Every responsible landlord should be happy to provide information that will guide security operatives to either confirm their suspicions or clear a tenant wrongfully accused.
“Nothing is wrong with that. It should, however, be noted that it was the NLC leadership that raised suspicion on themselves by their actions when the police raided the place in search of the suspect now at large.”
TSF also raised posers on the attitude of NLC in response to a raid it argued had nothing to do with its office in the complex or with the labour union.
“It knew that the raid had nothing to do with the portion of the complex they occupy. They knew that it had nothing to do with their officials or staff. They knew that the person whose premises were visited was their tenant. Why then did they misled Nigerians by claiming the visit was to arrest them?
“Why did they deliberately provide a connection between them and the person concerned? And even when it turned out that the security operatives never targeted them during the raid, why didn’t they quickly correct the erroneous impression they created?
“These are legitimate questions they ought to answer in addition to the fact that they must provide information on their tenant as law abiding landlords.
“To blackmail the government with a threat to go on strike over a simple security matter which ordinarily they are obligated to provide information on, smirks of attempts to obstruct the course of justice.
“We are urging NLC to stop using the power of strike to subvert anything done by its leadership that could be wrong. That is not promoting workers’ interests but rather indulging the self-serving interests of their leaders being masqueraded as workers’ interests.
The group concluded that stressing that the NLC leadership must as a matter of necessity answer for the breach of national security within their premises by providing information on the fugitive tenant who is currently at large.
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