NUEE faults alleged harassment of labour leaders

The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has condemned government’s alleged interference in the labour movement and harassment of the leaders.

Acting General Secretary of the NUEE, Dominic Igwebike, said the choice by the government to stifle labour and free speech in the country as a tool to compel Nigerians to continue to suffer in silence in the face of government policies that are not favourable to the people was quite deplorable. 

He alleged that it was not only embarrassing but childish and clueless for the Federal Government of Nigeria to take to the antics of witch-hunting, harassment, intimidation and name-calling instead of coming out openly to apologise to the Congress and its leadership for the unlawful invasion of NLC National Headquarters some days ago. 

Igwebike warned that those in government, especially elected leaders, should be mindful of their actions in times like this if they have the love of the country at heart. 

He vowed that this blatant abuse of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and International Labour Organisation Conventions 87 and 98 was unacceptable and would be vehemently resisted.

The NUEE boss warned that if Ajaero is arrested, the union would have no choice but to go with the NLC directives of embarking on a nationwide strike.

“Thus, we are using this medium to call on our national, zonal, state, and chapter leadership to commence immediate mobilisation of our teaming members in Generation, Transmission, and Distribution to withdraw our services if Comrade Joe Ajaero is arrested.

“Finally, we are calling on the Federal Government to thread with caution as the entire nation is angry and heated up already because of the hunger and hyper-inflation in the land, a situation that is fast uniting the poor to stand up for their rights and demand for good governance.

“It will pay the government and the people if the government should face the issues causing poverty and hardship in the land squarely and stop the pretentious chasing of shadows which it is currently doing. The rights of citizens must be respected and guaranteed if the country must move forward,” he said.