Abuja, Nov. 10, 2023: Angry members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Thursday barricaded the entrance and exiting routs of the Nnamdi Azikewe International Airport.
They were protesting over the manhandling of the President of NLC, Mr Joe Ajaero, by security agency and hoodlums in imo state.
Ajaero was attacked in Imo on Nov. 1, after declaring a protest against the governor of the state over alleged anti-labour practices.
The organised labour had on Nov. 7, directed its members to withdrawal all essential services, such as flights from going in and out of the state.
Mr Festus Osifo, President of TUC, said at a joint protest with NLC at the Nmandi Azikewe Airport on Thursday in Abuja.
According to Osifo, the issue of the Imo state is a national issue, because the person that was brutalised is a national president of the Nigerian workers.
“Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo state cannot unleashed the Nigeria Police in the state on someone who has been advocating for peace and also fighting for the interest of the Nigerian workers..
“For us, we will say no to brutalisation of any worker. What is happening today is just the first step of series of activities that would happen.
“That is execpt the Federal Government do the needful and also arrest those people who were the perpetrators of the evil on our president.
“As this is not acceptable and can never be allowed by the Nigerian workers,” he said.
The TUC President added that , let us all to be be strong and this is a marathon. It is not a dash race, we are just starting until the government do the needful.
He said that the Area Commander that perpetuated the act and also led those armed men should be called to order.
According to him, they must be prosecuted and they must be brought to book. It is not just to transfer the Commissioner of Police in Imo state, there are series of actions that must be taken by the Nigerian government.
“This because an injury to one is an injury all Injustice is the same every whether it happened in Imo state or in any state in Nigeria.
“Once you do this to any Nigerian workers we have the right fight for the right of the particular person across the nation,” Osifo said.
Also, Mr Onyeka Chris, Assistant Government Secretary of NLC said the protest was compell the Federal government and imo state to abide by labour demands.
“We block the airport to ground the activities there and make sure no flights takes up, neither no flights comes in.
“As, this will eventually force the government to do something about what happened in Imo state on Nov. 1.
“There are serials of violation of workers’ rights in Imo state and the Federal Government must be concerned about it.
“So no flight will go in there today, either will any come out until they listen to us,” he said.
