We won’t be distracted, NLC President vows after police interrogation

The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has vowed to continue to champion workers’ welfare despite being questioned by the police over allegations of terrorism financing and other crimes.

Mr Ajaero stated this after he returned from the office of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in Abuja on Thursday.

He had gone there to honour an invitation extended to him by the police.

Addressing supporters and journalists at the Pascal Bafyau Labour House headquarters, Abuja shiortly after he returned, Mr Ajaero vowed to continue pressing for the implementation of a new minimum wage and other labour demands.

“For this level of solidarity, I want to thank every one of you,” Mr Ajaero said to the gathered crowd. “Tell every Nigerian worker that we are committed to your welfare.

“We have gone there and we are back. You can’t do this job without facing such hazards. It’s expected. Even at the unit level, some of us experience this.

“We will not listen to any distraction. On behalf of the NLC, NAC, NEC, and CWC, for the solidarity they have shown, I want to say thank you.”

Reflecting on his long history of labour activism, Mr Ajaero recalled being detained alongside human rights lawyer Femi Falana during the military regime of Sani Abacha in 1998.

He emphasised that the current circumstances would not deter him from his mission.

“We have secured a new minimum wage that has yet to be implemented, and we will press for its enforcement as soon as possible,” he declared.

Invitation

The IRT had asked Mr Ajaero on 19 August to appear before it to answer to charges of alleged criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrim.

The invitation came after a raid on the NLC headquarters in Abuja on 7 August, during which security operatives broke into the building’s second floor and ransacked a bookshop.

Although he was asked by the police to come on 20 August, the NLC president requested through his lawyers, Femi Falana Chambers, more time to appear on 29 August.

Mr Ajaero had left the Labour House to honour the invitation on Thursday at about 9 a.m. and returned at about 11.30 a.m.

He was accompanied back from the IRT office by some members of his legal team, including Maxwell Opara.

Unrelated charges

Meanwhile, Mr Opara has revealed that Mr Ajaero was not questioned on the allegations for which he was invited.

He said the police questioned the NLC president about a tenant in the NLC building rather than the severe crimes initially mentioned.

“Just to correct the impression, what we heard is quite different from what was contained in the invitation letter,” Mr Opara said.

“Now that they have learned their lessons and corrected themselves, we have accepted it in that manner. That doesn’t mean we are going to relent.”

Mr Opara also called for the release of minors detained during the #EndBadGovernance protests.