Nigerian Government Says NLC President, Ajaero’s Attackers Have Been Arrested, Begs Labour To Shelve Strike is a headline of a news article that was published on November 15, 2023
National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, has appealed to the organised labour to call off their nationwide strike, which began on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, to protest against the attack on the NLC president, Joe Ajaero on November 1, 2023, in Imo State.
Monguno said that the federal government was not happy with the incident and had ordered a thorough investigation into the matter. He also said that some suspects behind the attack had been arrested and would be prosecuted accordingly.
He assured the labour unions that the government was committed to addressing their grievances and ensuring the welfare and security of Nigerian workers.
The NLC and the TUC had accused the Imo State government of sponsoring thugs and police officers to assault and detain Ajaero, who was in Owerri to lead a protest against the violation of workers’ rights in the state. They said that Ajaero sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
They also demanded the immediate resignation of the Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for their roles in the attack.
The Imo State government, however, denied any involvement in the attack and said that Ajaero was rescued by the police from an angry mob that opposed his plan to shut down the state.
The government also said that it had paid the minimum wage and other entitlements to workers and pensioners in the state and accused the NLC of being used by the opposition to destabilize the state.
The nationwide strike by the labour unions has disrupted public services, transportation, and businesses across the country, especially in Abuja and the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
The strike has also affected the supply and distribution of petroleum products, as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) joined the action and threatened to shut down all oil and gas installations in the country.
