Lagos, Nov. 2, 2023 = The Nigeria Union of Railway Workers (NUR) on Thursday condemned the alleged attack and brutalisation of Comrade Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, in Owerri, Imo State.
The union said it was ready to call out its workers to war or take any action deemed fit by its umbrella union.
Comrade Segun Esan, the Secretary General of NUR, in statement on Thursday, described the attack, which was allegedly masterminded by Imo State Government, as barbaric and should not be allowed to stand.
He called on the Federal government, Imo State government and the Imo State Police Command to unravel all the sponsored thugs that perpetrated the assault on Ajaero
Esan said the attack must not be allowed to stand so as to prevent recurrence in the future.
According to Esan, the gathering by the workers for the purpose of peacefully protest against acts of injustice does not in any way contravene any known law or the constitution of Nigeria, especially when all due diligence has been followed.
“It therefore constitutes and arrant travesty of justice, rationality and democratic ethos for any person or group of persons, no matter how highly placed, to violate the fundamental human rights and collective sensibilities of the Nigerian workers by kidnapping, assaulting and eventually detaining Comrade Joe Ajaero in material particular and other law abiding Nigerian workers in general.
“It is indeed a national shame that Ajaero, who is the most significant person in the rank of Nigerian workers that embodies the very constitutional right of protest in this country, could be treated like a common criminal only for trying to protect the rights, welfare, and wellbeing of the workers of Imo State who have been grossly violated and treated ignominiously by the government of Imo State.
“We, therefore, call on the Federal Government, Imo State Government and, of course, the Imo State Police Command to unravel all the hands and the sponsored thugs that perpetrated this absurdity against Nigerian workers if similar heinous crime should be prevented from recurring in our polity.
“This also will assuage the Nigerian workers and bring back some level of trust and confidence in the Police and other national security apparati.” (GBN)
