Lawyers representing the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, have declined an invitation from the Nigeria Police Force, citing prior engagements.
NLC has immediately directed its affiliates and workers to immediately shutdown the economy should the police arrest the Ajaero.
At an emergency National Executive Council, NEC, meeting at the Labour House in Abuja on Tuesday, the Congress resolved to write to the police for extension of time to enable it consult with its lawyers.
Police had summoned Ajaero for an interview over investigations tying him to alleged criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.
His rejection of the invite came via a letter from Ajaero’s lawyers, Falana and Falana Chambers, addressed to the Inspector General of Police.
The letter stated that the police invitation, which was received yesterday, came too late, as Ajaero had already committed to another engagement.
The letter read in part: “We are solicitors to the Nigeria Labour Congress and its President, Joe Ajaero… We have the instructions of Ajaero to inform you that he is unable to honour your invitation on Tuesday, August 20, in view of the fact that your invitation letter was received by him yesterday. He has an engagement that had been fixed before the receipt of the invitation letter.”
Rather, the letter suggested that Ajaero would be free for interrogation on Wednesday, 29th August, 2024.
Briefing the workers, who had assembled at the Labour House in solidarity with the Congress President and to follow him to the Police headquarters, the NLC Deputy President, Kabiru Ado Sani, said that the invitation to Ajaero was invitation to workers.
Sani He said: “At the end of the meeting, we reached some certain resolutions. Part of the resolutions is that, as a committed labour center that we agreed or that we abide by the rule of law and due process.
“We will honor the invitation of the Nigerian police, because we are not faseless organization, but we believe that we need an extension of time, after consultation with our lawyers, because this invitation was extended to the Congress President yesterday and asked to report at the police by 10am today.
“So we are already working with our lawyers to look for extension of time, but this does not legitimize the charges by the Nigerian police to the Congress leadership, and secondly, we resolve that in an event our Congress President was arrested or detained at any moment, we put our affiliate on red alert to mobilize our membership across the country, that all workers in this country should down tool their services.
“This is the resolution because Comrades, this organization belongs to all of us, therefore we should do everything possible to safeguard the safety of this organization. We therefore, thank you very much, and you shoulwait for further directives by our leadership.
“Whatever happens, we will communicate your leadership, and your leadership will communicate you. So we urge you to remain calm and go back peacefully to our working place and await further directives.”
