By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Apparently pained by the scathing criticisms he has received following the botched nationwide strike and protest earlier planned by the organised Labour to commence today (June 7), the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero has said Nigerians rather than the leadership of Labour are to be blamed for the turn of events.
He also said the restraining order obtained by the federal government from the National Industrial Court (NIC), was another reason for the decision to shelve the planned industrial action to show the world that NLC is a law-abiding organisation.
Speaking on AIT breakfast programme, Kakaaki monitored in Abuja on Wednesday Ajaero absolved himself of any blame for the botched nationwide protest, pointing out that he is committed to the emancipation of Nigerian workers and has been fighting for the common good for a long time that giving up now is not an option to be considered at all.
According to him the NLC under his watch and it’s affiliates had mobilised heavily for “the mother of all protests” before the federal government procured a last minute restraining order from the National Industrial Court in Abuja to force organised labour to shelve the planned industrial action to show the world that NLC is a law-abiding organisation.
Ajaero however, accused Nigerians of being too docile on the issues affecting their well-being like the current astronomical increase in the pump price of petrol which was jerked up from N193 to N540 across the country after President Bola Tinubu had announced during his Swearing-in ceremony in Abuja that “petrol subsidy is gone”.
Said he: “It pains me to read all manners of media reports accusing NLC of not going ahead with the proposed strike. It’s not all about Labour leading the strike, what about Nigerians? The problem is that Nigerians are very docile. Protests must not only be led by NLC, what about 130 million Nigerians in a multi-dimension poverty, can’t they come out to protest?
“Again, I say to the Civil Society Organisations (CSO) blaming Labour for not protesting, why can’t they lead the mass protest?. The truth is that NLC has been carrying the burden of CSOs in leading the protests and it should not be so.
“Look, even the judges who gave the restraining order that organised labour should not go on strike on June 7 are affected by the untold hardship Nigerians are going through at the moment courtesy of the increase in petrol pump price”.
Ajaero further gave example of the time in the past when the military junta under former President Ibrahim Babangida proscribed NLC, but Nigerians including Student Unions of higher institutions in Nigeria mobilised and protested until federal government succumbed.
“As Student Unionists, we protested alongside CSOs and Nigerians against the policies of the Babangida regime hence agencies like People’s Bank and others were created by the administration to ameliorate the sufferings of the citizens. Nigerians should not be docile, waiting for only NLC to lead protests”, Ajaero admonished.
Prompt News reports that rising from an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting yesterday, the President of NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and General Secretary, Emma Ugboaja, cited the mood of the nation, in view of the outcome of the presidential elections still being challenged at the tribunal, the need to pursue national stability and the restraining order obtained by the Federal Government from the National Industrial Court, NIC, as reasons for the decision to shelve the planned industrial action.
The communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, however, accused the NIC of continuous weaponisation of the instrument of ex-parte injunctions in favour of the government against the interests of Nigerian workers in defiance of the position of the Supreme Court on the use of this instrument.
