The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the violence that erupted at the NURTW National Secretariat and caused casualties and damage to property.
The Nigerian Labour Congress condemned the tragedy as extremely tragic and completely avoidable, but totally blamed the Nigeria Police Force for the horrible events, stating that their inaction and unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of the Union were the root of all evil.
“In August, we raised alarm regarding the police’s actions targeting the legitimate leadership of the Union, and the hidden motives behind wresting control for the benefit of a select few who invoked the name of the President of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the NLC stated at the beginning of a statement by acting President Comrade Kabiru A. S. Minjibir.
“We begged the Police leadership to reconsider their actions and put them in line with the rules and international standards that govern labor relations.
Unfortunately, rather than complying with their request, the police continued to support the illegal occupation of the Union’s national headquarters, according to the NLC, in blatant violation of established legal and labor relations norms. “While the Police cordoned off the area, the Union’s democratically elected leadership was forcibly removed.”
We made sure to underline the danger this illegality posed to the peace as well as the damage it would cause to our democratic values. The Congress’ National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on August 31, 2023, prominently placed the issue on its agenda due to the severity of the situation. The NEC members strongly opposed the police actions, which was our second driving force behind the successful 2-Day Warning Strike that occurred on the fifth and sixth of this month across the nation.
The NLC claims that despite their warnings, the Police persisted in their unauthorized interference, providing cover for those putting pressure on the Union. “We met with the leadership of the Police and reached an understanding on a peace plan to safeguard lives and property. Depressingly, neither the roadmap nor our concerns have been implemented.
According to the body of Nigerian labor unions, the police might have prevented the tragic incident if they had heeded their advice and warnings. “Lives may have been spared, property safeguarded, and injuries avoided. We don’t see how such an incident could occur with the cops there unless there are ulterior motives.
The NLC released a statement headlined, “The Bloodshed At NURTW National Secretariat: We Urged for Caution but It Was Not Heard,” in which it expressed more alarm over the Police’s handling of the issue.
It emphasized that the results of its investigations hint to improper state favoritism in preserving peace. “We are shocked to learn that the democratically elected Union leaders are being detained while the other parties are being quietly released,” the statement reads. Justice demands fair treatment in cases of this nature.
“We demand that the police authorities immediately release the democratically chosen Union leaders from detention while also conducting an impartial investigation into the violence. Our nation cannot afford to seem to be biased or to act with impunity at this critical time. Let’s avoid any actions that can be seen as preferring illegality over legality, as this would only make an already precarious situation worse.
The NLC held the State and the Police accountable for the killings and destructions, stating that ignoring democratic rights and norms “inevitably leads to such terrible catastrophes, which could have been spared via resolute commitment to democratic values.”
But it asked the Police to adhere to the previously agreed-upon approach in order to prevent the problem from getting worse. People who have the public’s trust must exercise prudence, and those responsible for upholding our laws must avoid appearing to be spearheading an assault on them.
