By Abiola Olawale
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour Party has called the bluff of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), for ordering its members to picket its party secretariats.
The Labour Party also knocked the NLC president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, saying his inordinate ambition has pushed him too far to lose his decency. According to the party, a union known for fighting for the masses shouldn’t be seen engaging in partisan politics.
The New Diplomat reports that the NLC had directed its members on Tuesday to mobilise workers and lay siege to LP secretariats across the country to protest the party’s national convention planned for March 27.
As a follow-up of the directive, members of the union stormed the LP national headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, chanting solidarity songs and calling for the sacking of the party leadership.
The NLC alleged that Abure is planning to organise an illegal National Convention, leaving out prominent stakeholders, to continue running the party as a ‘sole administrator.’
However, in a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, and made available to the New Diplomat, the party declared that Ajaero’s continuous claim that NLC owns the party is false and baseless.
The party wondered why the NLC would bring militants to break into its national headquarters, adding that the union has no constitutional right to demand that its members picket any organization in the country.
The statement reads, “The leadership of the Labour Party has described the unlawful break and entry into its national headquarters by the militant arm of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and colossal destruction of properties as a criminal act, a misplacement of priority and an action done in bad fate.
“The party also notes that the President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero’s greed and inordinate ambition have pushed him into losing every sense of discretion and decency in his recent conduct, be it in his affairs with the workers or even the government.
“In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, the party wondered how Ajaero would lead a band of lawless persons who are known to have partisan interests in other major political parties such as the PDP and APC against a recognized independent political party.
“Ajaero’s continuous claim that NLC owns the Labour Party is not in any way supported by either the Electoral Act or the Constitution. For his information, a political party is owned by those who are card-carrying or financial members of the party. We are aware that more than 90 per cent of the members of the NLC have not met this condition and therefore cannot claim to be the owners of the party. The constitution also provides that no organisation can own any other organisation. The NLC as an organisation can therefore not claim the ownership of the Labour Party.
“Today, Nigeria is witnessing the worst economic strangulation ever in the history of Nigeria. Issues such as poor workers’ wages, high inflation and insecurity with Nigeria turning to a Hobbesian state, yet after a year of his assumption of office, Ajaero has chosen to ignore all these national challenges.
“It would interest you to know that Ajaero’s NLC is yet to successfully picket any Federal Government establishment. His attempt to extend his rascality to Imo state was met with a higher and brutal force. Unfortunately for us in the Labour Party, we do not command any force, unlike the NLC which is now encouraging militancy within its ranks.
“By its constitution, the NLC cannot even call for a picketing of any establishment without a directive of its NEC but what we saw was a political committee acting out an illegal script by Ajaero. The committee has no legal right to call an action like picketing or breaking into a political party where most of them are not even members.
“The present NLC leadership is politicized. It has left its primary responsibilities of defending Nigerian workers and has delved deeply into partisan politics and this is a bad omen for the working community. We have earlier advised Ajaero to emulate the leadership of Ayuba Waba, Olaleye Quadri and Festus Osifo who had or are currently passing through a similar route and still maintain a working relationship with the party.
“We are however reviewing today’s criminal actions and disruption of activities in our national headquarters with our legal department for further actions.
“What we saw today appears to be a personal vendetta against the national chairman, Julius Abure who they called several unprintable names including labelling him a thief. We are certainly going to take legal action on matters of libel.”
