THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have declared a nationwide strike for the second day, and the Organised Labour has stated that no court order has been received from the Federal Government or any of its parties to stop the strike, which began yesterday.
TUC President Festus Osifo, speaking today on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, he blasted the government for “perpetually violating” court orders while expecting other institutions not to do the same.
Osifo recalled that the Federal Government and the Department of State Services (DSS) violated court orders directing the release of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele from the custody of the secret police when he was detained for about five months before being released.
“Yes, we don’t have a service on the court order but we have a government today who perpetually does not obey court orders. When DSS was holding Emefiele, how many court orders were passed for Emefiele to be released? Countless number of them,” a furious Osifo said on our breakfast show.
The Labour leader went on to say that once the unions receive a court order on the ongoing strike, they would liaise with their lawyers and take a decision.
“We have a state that refuses to obey court orders. You now expect others to obey court orders but once we see it, we are responsible institutions, we will not say because the Federal Government continuously violate court institution, we will examine it and if it is the right thing for us to do, yes, we will.”
Osifo blasted the government for always running to court to acquire restraining orders to halt Labour activity rather than engaging unions and addressing their complaints. Obtaining court orders, he said, is not good Labour relations on the part of the government.
The Presidency and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation have criticized Labour for being on strike indefinitely despite a “restraining order issued last week by Justice Benedict Backwash Kanyip of the National Industrial Court” stating that Labour must obey court decisions.
“Ajaero is an individual but he represents an institution. NLC is an institution that is rooted in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Today, for example, if you have the President of a country assaulted in another country, it will lead to even war.
“The people that brutalise him were led by the police and the police is a national institution, Since this as happened, there is no single statement from the Federal Government until yesterday (Tuesday). For us, it is fundamentally wrong,” he said.
“The Nigeria Police led the brutalization of Comrade Joe Ajaero. So, we want those people to be apprehended. We know their names, in fact, some of the people that led this work for the Imo State government. The Area Commander that led this must be apprehended, this is not difficult to achieve.
“When we started pushing all these, there was no single comment from the Nigerian state but since yester (Tuesday), we have been having some conversations. Once we progress on those conversations, and we see clearly that they are serious to bring these people to book, that they are serious to hold them to account, then, of course, we will let go.”
