The Delta State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Chief Goodluck Ofobruku, (JP) has revealed the main reason why they shut down the country with the ongoing nationwide strike that commenced on Tuesday.
Comrade Ofobruku who speaks with journalists after monitoring the level of compliance in the capital city of Asaba said, they are protesting against the federal government for being insensitive to their demands, stating that their President, Comrade Ajero was arrested in Imo State by the Nigerian police and was handed over to thugs to be beaten up yet, the federal government is feeling no concern.
He said the union decided to embark on a nationwide strike because they feel that the working class cannot continue to take shit from the ruling class.
According to Ofobruku while stating their demands “Workers in Imo State cried that they have been owed 22 months’ salary, while Pensioners, have 44 months of pension not paid. Cooperative funds have not been paid to cooperators since the Governor, Hope Uzordinma took over the leadership in January 2020. Check-up dues have not been paid.
He said the Nigerian Labour Congress constituted a committee and went to Imo State to discuss with Hope Uzordinma and an agreement was reached when he promised to pay within a specified time. When it was time to pay, he started using his political thugs to harass the leadership of labour in Imo State.
The Delta NLC Chairman who also doubles as the Dean of Chairmen said, that when we went to conduct the NLC election on March 7, 2023, he sent thugs to disrupt the election. We constituted a caretaker committee in Imo State to run the affair but he refused them to work. He sent his thugs to go and take over the NLC secretariat in the Imo State.
‘When the National Executive Council reviewed what he was doing, he decided to go to Imo state to protest against the injustice on November 1, 2023.
“Despite the harassment of the labour workers, Hope Uzordinma declared eleven thousand workers as ghost workers and removed their names from the payroll. He also declared ten thousand pensioners as ghost pensioners and stopped paying them.
“We said the state money did not belong to him because he could not just wake up and do what he liked. Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria allows workers to protest any injustice. This is why we went to Imo State to protest and he equally sent his thugs to come to beat up labour leaders in the presence of policemen.”
“They beat up the labour leaders, stole our money, stole our phones, destroyed our vehicles, and vandalized our secretariat including the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress. So we felt that what he did was a slap on every worker in the country.
“Our President was arrested by the police and handed over to thugs to be beaten up. If not for the intervention of the National Security Adviser, who knows what would have happened? So workers in this country feel that it is a slap on their faces for them to send their president to Imo State and be beaten up.”
“We have asked the Federal government to redeploy the police Commissioner who supervises that beating. The Area Commander was also one of them who supervised the beating. Also, one, Chinaza Nwaneri, who is the head of the thugs in Imo State and also the Special Adviser on Special Duties to the Governor that led the thugs should be arrested and prosecuted alongside his boys for assaulting Labour leaders who were in Imo state for a peaceful protest.”
“Maybe the federal government feels that any Nigerians can go anywhere and be beaten up and nothing will happen. That is why we said no, there are laws in this country. Apply the rules no matter who is involved.”
“If the federal government cannot arrest those who assaulted our president and other labour leaders and persecute them, it means there is no need for us to keep working. We have to withdraw our services.
The strike is also in most of the state because most of these governors have refused to implement the thirty thousand minimum wage that was approved over 5 years ago in their state.
“Recently, the wage award was drafted for workers. The state governments were represented in the meeting when the agreement was reached and they were expected to apply it in their various states, yet they have refused to do the same.
“So we felt that no meaningful organization would allow his members to be taken for a ride without taking action. The National Executive Council sat again to look at what the federal government and some of the state governments have been doing and behaving. Especially to the extent when the number one labour leader in the country goes to a state and he will be beaten up by thugs and supervised by the police in Nigeria, we felt it as an insult to the working class in this country.
“The working class cannot continue to take shit from the ruling class. So we have decided to go against it until they listen to us and those who beat up our president are arrested and prosecuted. And until there is a former apology to the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congresses.”
“Also, to those governors who thought maybe the state money is their money. Until they pay us our entitlement, those who are working and those pensioners
“You have gone around and you can see that the strike is a huge success here in Delta State. All government establishments and the health sector are down. Our task force is going around to make sure there is good compliance. Even the workers are happy to withdraw their services as they are fed up, Ofobruku said.
