The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has decried alleged harassment of the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Reacting over the arrest of Joe Ajaero, General Secretary of ITUC-Africa, Joel Odigie bemoaned the treatment meted out to the labour leader who was apprehended on his way to London to attend a labour event being organised by the UK Trade Union Congress.
Odigie stressed that the seizure of Ajaero’s travelling documents was an affront to the core principles of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.
“It is alarming that efforts to ascertain his whereabouts and state of health have been met with silence from the authorities,” he stated.
The ITUC-Africa scribe noted that Ajaero has not been charged with any crime adding the labour body is also not aware of any competent court issuing a warrant of arrest for him, nor has he been restricted from travelling outside the country via any judicial pronouncement.
“Therefore, Joe Ajaero is not a flight risk, and so we wonder why he is being hounded and treated in an uncivil manner by the Nigerian state and its security agencies, agents, and officials. ITUC-AFRICA views these actions as representing the escalation of a pattern of state-led persecution, repression and intimidation against trade union leaders in Nigeria.
“The unjustified restriction, detention and incommunicado, carried out without any legal warrants, are nothing short of brazen acts of lawlessness and intimidation designed to silence dissenting voices at a time when Nigerian workers, people, households and communities are suffering under the crushing weight of the Government’s failed economic policies.”
ITUC-Africa maintained that the government’s actions constitute grave violations of internationally recognised human and trade union rights, including freedom of association and the right to peaceful assembly.
It observed that the Nigerian government’s blatant disregard for basic human rights threatens the very fabric of democracy and undermines the principles of social justice, cautioning that Nigeria must not fall into
authoritarianism.
In calling for the immediate release of the held labour leader, ITUC-Africa added: “Therefore, ITUC-Africa calls on the Nigerian Government to immediately release
Comrade Joe Ajaero unconditionally and with full apology and compensation.
“The Nigerian Government must guarantee the physical integrity of Joe Ajaero and cease further harassment of comrade Joe Ajaero and the other trade union leaders.”
It reiterated its opposition to any attempt to criminalize trade union activities and force censorship upon the leaders of Nigeria’s organised labour.
It urged the international community, including global trade unions and human rights organisations, development institutions, and governments, to stand in solidarity with Nigerian workers and hold the Nigerian Government accountable.
It insisted that the Nigerian government cannot suppress the struggle for workers’ rights in Nigeria through intimidation and that it will not relent in its collective efforts to defend the fundamental rights of workers in Nigeria.
