In a concerning turn of events, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, was apprehended by the police during an ongoing protest in Imo State, as reported by Vanguard News.
The NLC initiated the demonstration in response to the alleged violation and abuse of workers’ rights and privileges by the State government.
The protest quickly escalated into chaos as miscreants reportedly targeted the protesters, damaging vehicles and causing injuries to NLC members. Amid this turmoil, heavily armed security personnel detained Comrade Joe Ajaero, leaving his whereabouts unknown.
The NLC had previously announced its intention to launch protests in Imo State starting from November 1, citing concerns over the persistent violations of workers’ rights and privileges by the State government. Ajaero expressed the NLC’s frustration with the state government’s consistent breach of agreements and the failure to implement prior commitments.
The NLC president noted that the protest became necessary due to the government’s refusal to honor previous agreements. He highlighted issues such as the unpaid salaries of some workers for up to 20 months, falsely designating workers as “ghost workers,” and diverting their salaries despite their diligent service.
One notable breach mentioned by Ajaero was the accord reached on January 9th, 2021, between the government and Organized Labour, which the state government allegedly disregarded. Ajaero pointed out that approximately 11,000 hardworking individuals had been unjustly labeled as ghost workers, resulting in the diversion of their salaries.