Armed security men suspected to be from the Department of State Services on Wednesday evening in large numbers invaded Labour House, the offices of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja, breaking into some of the floors and ransacking books and files.
A source said they carried various materials into their vans, claiming that the materials were used to incite and organise the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests in the country.
Earlier in the day, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NLC called for the reversal of what it called the “ill-conceived policies of the government” which had led to the current economic crisis.
“The government must implement policies that prioritize the welfare of the people, create jobs, and ensure fair distribution of resources,” the executive body said in a communique signed by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, the General Secretary.
It directed all workers across the country to continue to take measures to protect themselves as the masses try to make their voices heard, adding that they must maintain their commitment to non-violence.
“The NLC remains committed to defending the rights and welfare of Nigerian workers and the broader population,” it said. “We will not relent in our efforts to ensure that justice, equity, and good governance prevail in our nation.”
It mandated the national leadership to decide on a date to be set aside as a National Day of Mourning in honour of those killed or injured in the protests.
The NEC further called for an independent investigation into the attacks on the protesters, affirming that those responsible for them must be held accountable, and justice must be served to the victims and their families, and the peaceful protesters being held freed without delay.
“The NEC-in-session urges the federal government to engage in meaningful dialogue with representatives of the protesters, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to resolve all the issues at stake to end the national carnage,” the communique said. “This is to avoid NLC being compelled [to] direct its members to stay home for the safety of their lives.”
The NEC-in-session observed that the government can only stop a democratic protest by concrete actions and reasonable dialogue, and not by threatening the people who are already losing their lives on account of the unrepentant massacre of unarmed protesters by the police.
The NLC reminded the government that it had previously warned it about the consequences of adopting the anti-poor advice of the World Bank and IMF when it announced the removal of petrol subsidy policy last May without putting adequate safeguards in place to mitigate the suffering that it would heap on the people.
It was not clear at press time why DSS ransacked the NLC office, or whether they were looking for anything in particular.
