The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday said the health condition of its President, Joe Ajaero is very critical and may be flown abroad for full medical examination after he was seriously beaten, brutalized and battered by alleged agents of the state including policemen on Wednesday in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
Recall that suspected agents of the state and security operatives had descended on Ajaero alongside other Labour leaders smashing their vehicles, inflicting injuries and dispossessing handsets, money, ATM cards among other valuables from Labour leaders and others who had gathered at the NLC State secretariat to begin a scheduled protest over pending labour issues.
The NLC President, other national leaders of NLC and their Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, counterpart, were at the state Secretariat in Owerri to protest among other grievances backlog of unpaid salaries and allowances, Pensions, gratuities and non-compliance with National Minimum Wage Act.
After his release from Police abduction Wednesday night, Ajaero who looked very weak was wearing a neck collar with weal all over his skin and was “referred to ophthalmic investigation, a head/brain scan, a full body scan, and cervical spine therapy among other investigations.”
Speaking on the health condition of the NLC President, an Assistant General Secretary and chief of Staff to the NLC president, Chris Onyeka, lamented that his situation had worsened and could hardly talk saying he almost passed out last night.
According to him: “The Congress President is in a very critical condition. He is so weak and can hardly talk. He almost passed out last night. The Congress is considering flying him abroad for full medical examination. There is high apprehension and fear that he might have been injected with substance. Like you may have seen, he was brutally beaten, brutalized and battered in addition to confiscating his phones, monies and others personal belongings. We have suspended the action in Imo State because besides the President, other Labour leaders suffered similar fate. They need to take care of themselves and recover from the injuries inflicted on them by agents of the state government including operatives of the Imo State Police Command.”
Meanwhile, It was gathered that the leaders (organs) of NLC and TUC will meet next week Tuesday, to decide on appropriate response to the attack and brutalisation of the NLC President and other Labour leaders in Owerri.
Meantime, more reactions have continued to trail the attack and brutalization of Ajaero and other labour leaders in Owerri
Reactions
Reacting, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the February 2023 Presidential election, Mr Peter Obi, yesterday, condemned the attack on Joe Ajaero, describing it as lawlessness, impunity, criminality, and rascality.
Obi, who condemned the attack on Ajaerovia his X account (formerly Twitter), the incident “has come as a rude shock to most Nigerians. It says a lot about the state of affairs in our country today.”
The LP candidate, said: “It shows the level of lawlessness, impunity, criminality, and rascality that have engulfed our dear country. Things like this should worry any discerning mind because it runs counter to the type of country that we all desire and deserve.
“In the New Nigeria of our dreams, abuse of power and the reckless violation of citizens’ rights through acts of impunity will have no place.”
