Category: News

The alleged abduction and brutalisation of President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, yesterday, has continued to generate reactions, as the Imo State Police Command, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) traded words.

However, NLC revealed yesterday that Ajaero had been admitted at the Federal Medical Centre in Owerri for treatment of wounds he sustained from alleged manhandling by the police.

A statement signed by NLC’s Head of Information and Publicity, Benson Upah, said, “Contact was made with Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, this evening around 15.30 hours at the Police Hospital in Owerri from where he was taken to Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, where he is receiving medical attention.

“Thoroughly brutalised, his right eye at the time of contact was completely shut.”

Quoting Ajaero from the hospital bed in Owerri, Upah said he narrated how he was bundled out and blind-folded to an unknown place before being beaten up with objects, including bottles.

Upah said, “Ajaero, who said little, stated that immediately after his arrest, he was beaten up and blind-folded and taken to an unknown destination where more brutalisation took place, sometimes with bottles.

“His phones, money and other personal effects were taken off him and have not been returned to him.”

But, in its reaction, the Imo State Police Command denied arresting Ajaero. The police explained that the NLC president was initially taken into protective custody at the State Command Headquarters to save him from lynching and he was subsequently given treatment for his injuries at the Police Medical Services, Owerri.

Imo State Government denied involvement in the arrest of the NLC president. The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Declan Emelumba, in a statement yesterday, noted that those accusing the government were perennial mischief makers always crying wolf where there was none.

Emelumba recalled that the purported strike action in the state had been stopped by the National Industrial Court in Owerri, which makes the planned action illegal.

He also noted that in compliance with the court order, the Imo State chapter of NLC had announced that it was pulling out of the strike. He wondered what Ajaero was doing in Owerri in defiance of the order of the court, which warned of severe consequences against disobedience.

Ajaero was arrested during a protest rally led by the national leadership of the labour movement against alleged maltreatment of workers in the state.

As early as 8am Wednesday morning, workers started gathering at the state secretariat of NLC for the protest. But, suddenly, some men with harmful weapons stormed the secretariat and attacked the workers and chased them away.

However, the workers reassembled at the secretariat, but this time led by the NLC president and General Secretary, Emma Ugboaja, to commence the protest.

Just as Ajaero was about addressing the gathering, a team of armed policemen came and arrested him along with some officials of NLC and took them away.

There were several gunshots apparently fired to disperse the workers.

Many workers were arrested, including the crew of the TVC covering the protest, and some workers sustained injuries during the fracas.

Among the grievances of the workers was that the state owed workers and pensioners over 42 months’ salary arrears; declaration of thousands of workers and pensioners as ghost workers; and not properly implementing the national minimum wage.

The workers also accused the state government of trying to use the courts to stifle a lawful protest, and attempting to break the ranks of the unions in the state.

The organised labour maintained that Ajaero was abducted by Governor Hope Uzodimma and the Imo State Commissioner of Police.

In a statement jointly signed by General Secretary of NLC, Ugboaja, and his TUC counterpart, Mr. Nuhu Toro, the two labour centres threatened to mobilise the State Councils and the branches for immediate nationwide action if Ajaero was not released.

They alleged that Ajaero was arrested by the police, accompanied by thugs led by Special Assistant to the Governor of Imo State on Special Duties, Mr. Chinasa Nwaneri, and others, like Tapey and Madoka.

The statement said about the manhandling of Ajaero, “They inflicted heavy injuries and blows to his head and body and kicking him in the process, while dragging him on the ground, while the police supervised the mayhem.

“They eventually bundled the president into their waiting van and whisked him away to unknown destination, where he is still being held incommunicado as we write.”

The statement further accused the Imo State government of violence and intimidation, saying, “The Government of Imo state has continued to use the instrument of violence and intimidation against trade unions and their leadership in the state. Just as Nigerian workers gathered earlier this morning, led by the leadership of the two labour centres, to demonstrate our outrage over the serial and habitual abuse and violation of the rights of workers in the state, the government unleashed blood cuddling mayhem on the workers.

“Earlier in the morning, policemen had tried to disperse workers, who were gathering at the state NLC secretariat, without success. This was followed, in the usual manner, by thugs who were stationed very close to the secretariat in several Hilux and Toyota trucks.

“These thugs were later to unleash mayhem on the few workers, who had already gathered, smashing car windscreens, delivering machete cuts on some, stabbing many, and inflicting all manners of injuries on the workers. GSM handsets were snatched, laptops taken away and monies were forcefully taken away by the hoodlums.

“As if that damage was not enough, the president of the NLC; Comrade Joe Ajaero, arrived the venue accompanied by few individual workers to inspect the carnage and to provide the necessary leadership for the trade union action to continue, only to be met by policemen of the Imo State Police Command, who came in their numbers and in several trucks.”

The unions noted that all they were asking was for Uzodimma to honour agreements signed between them and to respect the rights of workers in the state.

They stated, “Workers deserve their wage and if you are in the habit of owing workers, you make their lives unstable and strip them of their humanity.

“These are some of the things we have asked Hope to do but to which he has refused to heed. Instead, he believes in the use of intimidation and violence against the workers and the people.

“We call on Nigerian workers, wherever they may be; in the respective industrial unions, the state councils and the branches, to be on alert for an immediate nationwide action if by the end of today, the President of the Congress is not released.

“We cannot be at work while our president is in the gulag and we cannot be at peace when the government of Imo State continues to disrespect workers and treat them with utter disdain.”

They added, “With this statement, we want to put the Nigerian government on notice that we want the president of the NLC immediately released. The injuries meted to him must be treated forthwith and his freedom to lead Nigerian workers in a peaceful protest guaranteed.

“This is what we demand as we proceed to the meetings of the various organs to take decisions on further steps that will be taken. If this is not heeded now, anything that happens in the country, the governor of Imo State and the police commissioner must be held responsible.

“Nigeria is a country of laws and we, especially the leaders, must learn to work within its ambits. The IGP, who is in the state, must call his operatives to order to avoid loss of lives, properties and further injuries on innocent workers in Imo State.

“Workers in Imo State must be free and we must all join hands to ensure that this happens.”

However, Imo State Police Command, in its statement signed by Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Okoye Henry, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, argued that there was a court injunction from the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Owerri with Suit No. NICN/OW/41/2023, dated 27th October, 2023, that barred the NLC from holding the intended protest rally in Owerri.

The statement said, “The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Police Command, CP Mohammed Ahmed Barde, therefore, urges all concerned parties to ensure compliance with the court directives so as to avoid jeopardising the current security arrangements on Owerri and other parts of Imo State, even as the state gears up for the forthcoming electioneering process on 11th November 2023,”

Some of the workers, who sustained injuries during the attack, narrated their experiences to journalists at the secretariat of the state council.

Speaking shortly after the fracas, Upah said the police stormed the secretariat and arrested Ajaero in flagrant disregard to locally and internationally recognised labour laws.

He lamented the action of the police, which he alleged, allowed thugs and hoodlums to a field day attacking and maiming innocent workers.

Addressing journalists on the incident, NLC Deputy General Secretary and Chief of Staff to the NLC president, Chris Onyeka, said he stood with Ajaero when he was brutalised and arrested.

Onyeka said, “As workers were gathering to protest their maltreatment by the state government in Owerri, Imo State, and the president of NLC was about addressing the workers, the police came, amidst attacks by thugs, to arrest Ajaero.

“Thugs first attacked and dragged Ajaero from the platform before police came to arrest him along with another senior official of the NLC.”

THISDAY gathered that the arrest of Ajaero might be due to alleged disobedience of an order by the National Industrial Court restraining NLC and TUC from carrying out any protest in the state.

Meanwhile, the United Action Front of Civil Society warned Uzodinma that no harm must befall Ajaero.

Head, National Coordinating Secretariat, United Action Front of Civil Society, Olawale Okunniyi, in a statement issued yesterday, threatened a total shutdown of Abuja and Nigeria if Ajaero was harmed. Okunniyi said the Nigerian people were being pushed by bandits in power towards mass action.

He stated, “Governor of Imo State today shot himself in the leg, as anticipated, by abducting the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the leader of the entire workforce and masses of Nigeria and will never no rest again.

“It will, therefore, be in the interest of the governor of Imo State that nothing happens to Ajaero in his illegal custody to avoid total shut down of Abuja and Nigeria, as the Nigerian people are being pushed by bandits in power towards mass action.”

The group also condemned in strongest terms the political crisis in Rivers State. It called on the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to desist from foisting any further rascality on Rivers State and to stop his desperate machination to impeach the Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara, who only assumed office in May this year.

It added, “The ongoing crisis in Rivers State, which is no doubt the continuation of the political rascality and dictatorship of Mr. Wike, must not be allowed to undermine governance in Rivers State and even in the FCT, as It is rather unbecoming for the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to be sponsoring the impeachment of his successor just five months of assuming office.

“The United Action Front of Civil Society, therefore, demand that the security agents under the control of the federal government must resist to be used as tools by Mr. Wike to settle scores in Rivers State.”

ThisDay

As requested by Tinubu in the letter read in the Senate during plenary on Tuesday, the request was given expeditious consideration.

The budgetary proposals made in the bill were debated, passed for a second reading, and the Committee on Appropriations mandated to interface with heads of affected agencies for defence on proposals made.

The committee chaired by Senator Solomon Adeola, representing the All Progressives Congress, Ogun West, met with heads of the seven affected agencies till the late hours of Wednesday and told journalists that the reports on the supplementary budgetary proposals will be submitted to the Senate for final consideration and passage on Thursday.

Adeola said, “As mandated by the Senate on the strength of the request made by President Bola Tinubu, the Appropriations Committee has met with heads of the affected seven agencies supplementary budget proposals were provided for.

“Heads of each of the agencies have defended proposals made for them by the President and convinced the committee on the need for the Senate and by extension, the National Assembly to approve the N2.17tn 2023 supplementary budget.

“The committee has carried out the assignment given in line with the urgency required on the basis which reports for final consideration and passage of the bill, will be submitted to the Senate today (Thursday).”

In his presentation, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, defended N100 billion provided in the supplementary budget for the Federal Capital Territory out of which N22 billion was earmarked for the completion of metro rail.

For security and safety in FCT, Wike told the committee members that all abandoned structures would be brought down so as not to serve as hideouts for criminals from neighbouring states.

Other ministers who made presentations before the committee were the Minister of Works, David Umahi, who defended his almost N400 billion appropriation; the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari; Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawale, as well as service chiefs.

Punch

This is coming three years after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Action Peoples Party (APP) filed the two separate applications seeking to have the Supreme Court nullify Mr Uzodinma’s All Progressives Congress (APC) candidacy in the state’s 2019 governorship election.

Mr Uzodinma was declared governor of Imo in January 2020, after it sacked PDP’s Emeka lhedioha whom Nigeria’s electoral commission, INEC, declared winner of the election.

The applications subsequently filed to challenge Mr Uzodonma’s emergence as the governor were scheduled for hearing on Tuesday. However, an official of the Supreme Court who did not want his name mentioned told journalists that the appeal had been postponed until 5 December.

The applicants had hoped that the Supreme Court would decide their requests before the next governorship election scheduled to hold on 11 November in the state.

The applicants in their separate cases urged the Supreme Court to activate its decision delivered in 2019, disqualifying Uche Nwosu from the Imo governorship race on the grounds of double nomination as the candidate of both the APC and Action Alliance (AA).

They contended that the APC, having been adjudged by the Supreme Court to have, alongside AA, jointly sponsored Mr Nwosu for the 2019 election could not have at the same time fielded Mr Uzodinma for the same election.

On its part, the PDP also asked the Supreme Court to return its flagbearer, Mr Ihedioha, as winner of the election since the APC was precluded from sponsoring two candidates in the Imo State governorship election.

After three years, the Supreme Court only gave the PDP Tuesday for the hearing of its application. The application was lodged on 9 July 2020, yet the hearing was, on Tuesday, rescheduled to December 2023.

The electoral umpire had declared Mr Ihedioha winner of the 2019 governorship election in Imo State. The Supreme Court, however, in a judgement in 2020, sacked Mr Ihedioha and declared Mr Uzodinma as the lawful winner of the poll.

Background

The pending applications emanated from the run-up to the 2019 Imo State governorship election.

The Action Peoples Congress (APP) along with its governorship candidate, Uche Nnadi, and the PDP, had approached the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking, amongst other prayers, the disqualification of Uche Nwosu from contesting the Imo State governorship election on the ground that he (Mr Nwosu) was nominated by two political parties, Action Alliance (AA) and APC, contrary to provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) which forbids double-nomination.

The PDP and APP won at the High court and the Court of Appeal levels.
The Supreme Court concurred in a December 2019 judgement that Mr Nwosu was guilty of double nominations on the platform of two political parties, the APC and AA, a decision which led to the instant applications.

A lawyer, Adedamola Farokun, working in the Legal Department of the PDP, had averred in a supporting affidavit that, “The third Respondent/Applicant (PDP) is neither in any way seeking a review of the valid, subsisting and well considered judgement of this court delivered in this appeal in 2019, nor seeking a review of the judgement of this court delivered on 14 January 2020.”

However, the PDP subsequently filed an application, urging the Supreme Court to give effect to its judgement delivered on 20 December 2019 which adjudged Mr Nwosu to be the candidate of both the APC and the AA.

“That this court has the constitutional, inherent powers and jurisdiction to grant the reliefs sought and give effects to its judgement.

“That it is in the interest of justice for this court to exercise its wide discretionary powers in favour of granting this application as prayed,” the affidavit read in part.

The deponent, Mr Farokun, averred that Mr Uzodinma was not the candidate of the APC based on the court’s judgement that Mr Nwosu was nominated by both the APC and the Action Alliance. He urged the Supreme Court to so hold.

Premium Times

The court dismissed the appeal filed by Abubakar Ohere for lacking in merit.

In September, the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lokoja nullified the election of Mr Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial Election.

The court further declared Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the actual winner of the poll.

However, Mr Ohere appealed the judgement but the Court of Appeal upheld the ruling of the tribunal declaring Mrs Akpoti-Uduagan as the winner of the poll.

Premium T3

According to Premium Times Newspaper, members are receiving the 2022 model of Toyota Landcruiser Prado Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV) in batches. However, the leadership of the lower chamber is giving priority to the female and older lawmakers in the distribution of the vehicles.

Also, lawmakers who are facing uncertainty due to election litigation have been excluded from the sharing pending the outcome of their election litigations at the Court of Appeal.

A member of the House, Clement Jimbo (APC, Akwa-Ibom), confirmed the distribution of the vehicles in a phone interview on Sunday.

“They started the distribution already. You know it is the official vehicle. They started with female lawmakers and those without litigation – election litigation – are equally given. But if you have pending litigation, you need to clear – finish the litigation and be sure that indeed you will be here till the next four years,” he said.

Some of the lawmakers whose electiòns were nullified still have their cases pending at the Court of Appeal. Similarly, some that won at the tribunal are still being challenged at the appellate court, which is the final court for members of the National Assembly on election litigations.

Earlier, the spokesperson of the House, Akin Rotimi (APC, Ekiti), had informed that the distribution would not be done till January next year. The House comprises 360 members.

The purchaseof the vehicles by the lawmakers constitutes a violation of the Constitution, checks have revealed. 

Section 84 of the Nigerian 1999 constitution gives the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC the mandate for determining the salaries and allowances of public officials, including members of the National Assembly.

Section 84 of the constitution provides thus: “There shall be paid to the holders of the offices mentioned in this section such remuneration, salaries and allowances as may be prescribed by the National Assembly, but not exceeding the amount as shall have been determined by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission”.

Premium Times/Pacesetter