Inside Nigeria: Labour lists 6 conditions before suspension of strike

VOICE AIR MEDIA News Update

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has listed six conditions that must be met for it to call off their ongoing indefinite strike.

It listed the six conditions in a series of posts via its official X handle (formerly known as Twitter).

The NLC said, first, Chinasa Nwaneri, A Special Adviser to the Imo Governor on Special Duties who allegedly led the attack on NLC President Joe Ajaero and other workers in the State must be arrested and prosecuted.

The union also said all police officers as well as thugs involved in the attack on the labour leader should be arrested, prosecuted and dismissed.

It also demanded the arrest, prosecution and dismissal of the Chief Security Officer in Imo State Government House simply identified as SP Shaba.

“He led, participated and provided cover for thugs to brutalise workers in Imo State,” the NLC alleged.

Another condition given by the labour union was the arrest, persecution and dismissal of an unnamed police area commander who it said supervised the brutalisation of the NLC president and other workers in the state.

The sixth condition for peace was that the former Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Ahmed Barde, must be investigated and prosecuted for his alleged involvement in the assault of the NLC chief.

“Our demands are simple. We want justice,” the group wrote in the X post.

On its website, the union in a post titled: “This strike is a protest against the emerging culture of state violence and impunity” demanded that the administration of President Bola Tinubu should nip in the bud the burgeoning culture of harassment, intimidation, violence and terror.

It said: “We would want Nigerians to not lend themselves to the “private matter” narrative being promoted by agents of government as it is intended to divert attention from the real issues.

“Even as no freedom can be greater than the personal liberty of an individual in a popular democracy, which was violently and viciously violated in Imo, what the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria are fighting through this strike action are serial acts of violence/assault and impunity committed against individuals and organisations by the Nigeria Police Force or under their watchful eye or supervision.

“We make haste to cite three instances here even as there are several others within the brief life of this government.”