Electricity workers affiliated with the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) have issued a call for their members to cease operations across the nation beginning at midnight on Thursday.
The union’s decision comes as a response to the reported arrest and mistreatment of Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), by law enforcement during a protest in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, on Wednesday.
In the wake of Joe Ajaero’s alleged mistreatment by security personnel in Imo State, the NLC has declared its intent to hold an emergency meeting to determine its stance on the situation.
Benson Upah, the NLC’s Head of Information and Publicity, spoke with THISDAY over the phone on Thursday and announced that a gathering of all labor movement organs will convene to scrutinize the actions of the police and the Imo State government during the Owerri protest.
He emphasized that any of the affiliated unions are within their legal rights to take actions to express their outrage over the Owerri incident.
In a letter titled ‘Mobilization for Indefinite Nationwide Strike due to the Abduction of the NLC President, Joe Ajaero,’ the union strongly condemned the harsh and inhumane treatment of Ajaero, who also serves as the General Secretary of NUEE.
The letter, addressed to all union branches and signed by Deputy General Secretary Dominic Igwwbuike, conveyed the following message: “In response to the atrocious and inhuman treatment of our fellow comrade, the President of the NLC, by the Imo State governor and the Imo State Command police on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, we will initiate a complete national shutdown if the president is not released and the Nigerian government provides an adequate explanation.
“To this effect, we request all national, state, and chapter executives to mobilize our members for full compliance with this directive.
“Please take note that the withdrawal of services will commence nationwide at 00:00 hours on Thursday, November 2, 2023.
“We cannot continue working while the NLC president is detained, and we cannot stand idly by as the rights of workers in Imo State are violated with flagrant impunity.”
