The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed its members and all workers in the country to shut down the economy if the police arrest Joe Ajaero, its president.
This is in reaction to the invitation to Ajaero by the police over alleged financing of terrorism.
Shortly after its president was invited, NLC summoned an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the Labour House where it resolved to write to the police for an extension of time to enable the union to consult its lawyers.
Speaking at the emergency meeting, NLC Deputy President, Kabiru Ado Sani, said Ajaeroโs invitation was an invitation to workers.
Sani said, โAt the end of the meeting, we reached some certain resolutions. Part of the resolution is that, as a committed labour centre, we agreed or that we abide by the rule of law and due process.
โWe will honour the invitation of the Nigerian police because we are not a faceless organisation, but we believe that we need an extension of time, after consultation with our lawyers, because this invitation was extended to the Congress President yesterday and asked to report at the police by 10 a.m. today.
โSo we are already working with our lawyers to look for extension of time, but this does not legitimise the charges by the Nigerian police to the Congress leadership.
โSecondly, we resolve that in an event our Congress President was arrested or detained at any moment, we put our affiliate on red alert to mobilise our membership across the country, that all workers in this country should down tool their services.
โThis is the resolution because Comrades, this organisation belongs to all of us, therefore we should do everything possible to safeguard the safety of this organisation. We, therefore, thank you very much, and you should wait for further directives by our leadership.
โWhatever happens, we will communicate your leadership, and your leadership will communicate with you. So we urge you to remain calm and go back peacefully to our workplace and await further directives.โ
