The leadership of the Labour Party (LP) has petitioned key government institutions, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and the Registrar of Trade Unions, demanding urgent intervention to protect the party from further aggression by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The LP called for disciplinary action to be taken against NLC President Joe Ajaero and other union leaders, who according them, were responsible for the vandalization of LP property during a recent picketing of the party’s secretariats across the country.
News360 Info reports that the conflict between LP and the NLC took an ugly turn when NLC members picketed LP secretariat, demanding the resignation of LP’s National Chairman, Julius Abure.
The picketing reportedly led to the destruction of LP properties and the loss of some staff salaries.
Speaking on the development via a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, LP described the NLC’s actions as an abuse of office and called for them to be properly sanctioned.
Ifoh debunked claims that the NLC owns the LP, adding that the party is open to all Nigerians who accept its ideology, programs, and constitution, irrespective of their background.
The LP called on the government to define the NLC’s role, particularly regarding its alleged claim of owning the party.
The statement reads in part: “Ajaero has overreached himself by using workers’ funds to picket and sponsor insurrection in the Labour Party headquarters, an action which amounts to an abuse of office and should therefore be called to order and properly sanctioned.
“It has become unavoidably necessary to request your urgent intervention, being the regulatory agency for trade unions, including the NLC.
It is our argument that using workers’ funds to picket and sponsor insurrection in the Labour Party headquarters and its legitimate leadership is an abuse of office by the Presidents of the NLC, Joe Ajaero and should therefore be called to order and properly sanctioned.
Similarly, the NLC has no right to picket an organisation where there is no trade dispute. The Labour Party has no staff members who are members of the NLC.
The action of the NLC is a clear violation of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act, the Trade Union Act, and other relevant laws.
NLC members are not card-carrying members of the Labour Party. The Labour Party cannot be owned by any association.
Membership of the party is on an individual basis. The Labour Party’s Constitution says the party is open to all Nigerians who accept its ideology, programmes, and the constitution, irrespective of their religion, ethnic, gender, social, and economic status.
As lawful citizens, we didn’t want to confront them in an uncivilised manner in order to avoid breakdown of law and order. We had the option of also mobilising party faithful to confront them.
Doing that at this point where the harsh economic climate is having its toll on the Nigerian people will result in anarchy.
Thus, the urgent need to call the NLC and its leadership led by Joe Ajaero to order, educate them on the limit of their power, condemn their rascality, abuse of office and discipline them as appropriate.”
