Recall that at approximately ten o’clock at night, state officials stormed the NLC headquarters, which reports claimed had something to do with the recent statewide demonstrations against poverty in the nation.
Following some security agents’ incursion into the Nigeria Labour Congress offices late on Wednesday night, there were irate reactions yesterday.
The secret police were eager to refute the Department of State Services’ (DSS) involvement in yesterday’s attack, despite reports that its agents were responsible for it.
Recall that at approximately ten o’clock at night, state officials stormed the NLC headquarters, which reports claimed had something to do with the recent statewide demonstrations against poverty in the nation.
“Good morning dear friends. Please, kindly note that the Service (DSS) did not carry out any operation at the NLC office in Abuja,” a spokesperson of the DSS, Dr Peter Afunanya, said in a terse statement.
Among those who reacted included former Vice President, Abubakar Atiku, his counterpart in the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, Amnesty International, International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC, lawyers and civil society organisations., CSOs.
In its immediate response to the raid, the NLC sought an international inquiry into the invasion, describing the development as dangerous to the nation’s democracy.
Efforts to get the reaction of both the Presidency and the information minister proved abortive last night.
Reacting to the raid yesterday, NLC’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Benson Upah, said the labour movement had already directed all employees to stay away from office.
He said: “We are still shocked by the invasion. First, all staff of the Congress stayed away from the office as directed by the leadership. We cannot yet fathom the reason or reasons for the invasion.
‘’Since last night, we have been receiving calls from across the globe, including our affiliates to express their disbelief and outrage over the invasion. They said not even under military dictatorship did such a thing happen.
“We understand that the Department of State Services, DSS, has denied involvement. Who did it, alongside the uniformed policemen that invaded and ransacked the Labour House? We are in dangerous times in Nigeria. From what is happening, everybody is threatened. This is all I can say for now.”
In his reaction, former vice president and presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, while condemning the invasion, said whoever ordered the invasion by men believed to be a combined team of security officials should be held accountable.
Atiku, who spoke through his Media Adviser, Mr. Paul Ibe, said such clandestine raids on civil liberties had no place in a democracy.
He said: “The invasion of the national secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, by persons believed to be security operatives, whether singly or as a combined team, stands condemned.
“The practice of such raids without a valid court order and in the wee hours of the day reflects the current administration’s desire to hold on to the vestiges of military dictatorship which the NLC, civil society and the media fought so hard to end and birth the democratic rule we enjoy today.
“Events of the last couple of weeks have shown this administration’s growing obsession with militarization of our polity.
“They are trying to suppress civil liberties and silence the media. Just the other day, they had protesters shot at and some killed for daring to protest the hardships this administration’s policies have unleashed on the people.
“This administration must be told in clear terms that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria and those who do not share the same views with government must be allowed to air their views.’’
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, in his reaction, described the raid as condemnable.
Speaking through his Media Aide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, Obi noted that raiding the office of the labour union, especially at an unholy hour, was not the best thing to do.
He said: “The NLC as an organization, fights for the rights of the majority of Nigerian workers and their officials are accessible.
“If any of our security agencies desire to see them, the proper thing to do is to invite them and I know they are law-abiding; they will honour such invitations.
“Invading their offices, especially after office hours, is an attempt to intimidate them. This has no place in a democracy.’’
In its reaction, the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC, in its X handle, called on the Federal Government to immediately return all property carted away by the invading security operatives.
ITUC, which plans to issue a full statement today (August 9), said: “ITUC strongly condemns the attack on NLC Headquarters by security forces.
‘’We call on the Nigerian government to immediately recall its security forces from the premises of the NLC, return all property taken from the premises, and conduct an investigation.’’
ITUC also called on the Federal Government to respect labour and trade union rights as #HumanRights, build trust with the labour movement in Nigeria, listen to their demands for meaningful and effective dialogue, and stop attacking them!”
Also reacting, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC , condemned the invasion and demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.
TUC in a statement by its President, Festus Osifo said: “The TUC condemns the Wednesday night’s invasion of the Labour House, headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Abuja, by security operatives.