Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday decried alleged police harassment and intimidation of union leaders, threatening to picket the police headquarters and police stations nationwide if the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun does not end the illegal action.
Specifically, NLC raised the alarm over what it described as illegal interference by the IGP in the internal affairs of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), one of NLC’s affiliates.
In a statement by its president, Joe Ajaero, he said the NURTW had had its lawful activities restricted and shackled in Lagos State and other Southwest states of Oyo, Osun and Ondo despite the pronouncement of the courts to the contrary.
NLC noted that having felt unchallenged and thus invincible, the same forces that forcefully took over the union in these states and renamed them in some as Lands and Parks is seeking to expand their reach nationwide.
The statement said two days ago (Friday), some national officers of the union who went voluntarily to the police in response to an invitation by the IGP were unlawfully detained by the police without any discernible reason other than to clandestinely force a scuttling of a properly convened trade union programme.
“Nigerians should be aware that some forces seek to completely takeover the leadership of the union, which they hope to use to seize the nation’s civic space, muzzle voices of opposition and undermine democratic practices and aspirations in Nigeria.
“NLC does not understand where the IGP derives the power to meddle in the affairs of trade unions when it is neither a court as stipulated in the Constitution. Our laws are very clear on how industrial disputes should be settled in Nigeria and we are sure that the IGP as the chief law enforcement officer is conversant with that process. We wonder why he has refused to submit himself to the supremacy of the law.
“What is happening demonstrates a further extension of the same brutal power play at work, which was used by the same actors to forcefully take over the union which was established under the instrumentality of the law.”
It is an unholy quest at expanding the hegemony of impunity originating from these same powers who may want to deploy the instrumentality of the IGP to spread this illegality around the nation. This definitely raises yet another ugly scepter in our nation’s democratic space and must be condemned by all patriots.
“We want to warn the IGP to thread with caution and stop meddling in affairs that are clearly beyond the purview of his powers. If he receives a complaint against any trade union that is carrying out its legitimate duties, the norm is to refer such matters to the Federal Ministry of Labour which have the statutory powers to intervene or apprehend such matters for arbitration but not to begin to hunt the leaders with the intention to harass and intimidate or frighten them to submit to whatever their wishes may be.
