Tuesday November 14, 2023
Dear Nigerians
The contemnor or contemner Labour unions resolved to embark on strike and protests beginning from Tuesday November 14,2023,after the joint NEC meeting of the NLC and the TUC is not only a full stretch disobedience to the order of the National Industrial Court,which has earlier directed the labour unions to stop further strike action but also a calculated attempt to foster anarchy ,create chaos and civil disobedience against a constitutionally elected and Legitimate Civilian Administration which we all as Citizens of our dear country must resist
The indiscriminate use of NLC/TUC to strangulate democracy and prosecute personal agenda of political and Economy decimation of our country is an affirmation of their desperation to Conquer Nigeria
The principle of Natural justice does not allow the Sin of an individual to be visited on the society to which the individual belong nor is it morally justified to judge the conduct of a society by the conduct of a few
We are therefore unable to compute any form of juxtaposition as to why the NLC/TUC are hell bent on destroying the population of over 220miilion Nigerians over a personal incident that involved the NLC president whose lack of ability to Distinguish between Labour activities and partisans politics led to assault on him in Owerri by unknown Mob
The NLC/TUC has manifestly and incompetently displayed gross deficiencies in their capabilities and capacities to managed and maintain a clear distinctions between their primary role as a defender of workers’ interests and involvement in partisan politics with their active membership of Labour Party which has deviated their focus from labor issues and the welfares of its members.
Most Unfortunately, the present Labour leadership under Joe Ajaero has now become the worst in the history of Labour Union because recent events casted a negative aspersions on the credibility of the NLC/TUC as its current leadership, appears to be consumed undisputably with identity crisis.
Orders of court as made must be obeyed until set aside. Orders of the court are to be respected and obeyed. The dignity and honour of court cannot be maintained if its Orders are treated disdainfully and scornfully without due respect.
Consequently, non-compliance with an order of the industrial court makes the strike incompetent and illegal . Thus the purported commencement of the Nation wide strike today 14th November 2023 amounted to a blatant disobedience to the Orders of court
The latest onslaught against the Nigerian state raises concerns about Joe Ajaero’s dual identity role as the NLC president and Membership of Labour Party even when the Imo State chapter of the NLC has publicly distanced themselves from the coup plot when the state council confirmed that there were no outstanding salary issues, a move that suggest Joe Ajaero’s mission was more about political ratmatax than genuine workers concerns
The joint Labour Union incessant and deadly attacks against the Nigerian state have precipitated a huge conflict of interest within their ranks and have severely damaged the credibility of the Labour organization because their leadership have abandoned the protection of workers interest for partisan politics
Similarly,the security agencies are advised to be more proactive and vigilant to act very fast and protect the national assets from hoodlums,hiding under the labour unions.
There is urgent need by the security agencies to issue stern warning to Nigeria workers for them to respect the law.The NLC and TUC must not be used by any thoroughly demystified political misfits or their agents to ground the economy.
The Lamidi Apapa led National Working Committee ,while distancing the party from the proposed strike,calls for an immediate action to quell any civil unrest as soon as discovered.The party calls the NLC and the TUC to order,while advising their leadership under Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo to seek redress in the court,instead of taking to the streets to disrupt the economic activities of the nation.
The security agencies must compel the leadership of the labour unions and their affiliates to seek peaceful means of resolution of any disputes from the government.It is a coup to democracy and to the governments at all level, for the labour unions to go for strike,while a court order stopping further strike still subsists.
The Nigerian Government as a matter of urgency must now through the Ministry of Labour and Employment considered immediately the unbundling of Labour Union in our country through the creation of three additional Labour Union namely : the Nigeria Trade Union Congress (NTUC), Labour Unity Front (LUF), United Labour Congress (ULC) which would served as alternative platforms for interested workers aside the two already politically infested NLC/TUC
The National Chairman of Labour party Alh Bashiru Lamidi Apapa wishes to remind both NLC/TUC leadership that :
Section 37 of the Criminal Code Act in Nigeria states that :
(1) Any person who levies war against the State, in order to intimidate or overawe the President or the Governor of a State, is guilty of treason, and is liable to the punishment of death.
(2) Any person conspiring with any person, either within or without Nigeria, to levy war against the State with intent to cause such levying of war as would be treason if committed by a citizen of Nigeria, is guilty of treason and is liable to the punishment of death:
The National Security Adviser must now as a matter of urgency activate the Chief of Defense Staff, Inspector General of Police and all security agencies to be fully prepared to crush this rebellion madness
Finally in view of the above, our party here- by further disassociated ourselves from those arsonist planning the insurrection through civil disobedience and unrest in order to overthrown and Conquer Nigeria
The time is now for all Nigerians to come together to crush this violent uprising against the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Thank you all
Signed:
Dr Abayomi Arabambi (FBAU)
National Publicity Secretary
Labour Party
14th November 2023