By Bimbola Oyesola
Workers in the food sector have condemned the attack on the Nigeria Labour Congress president, Joe Ajaero, allegedly by the Imo State government under the watch of the security forces in the state.
The workers, under the umbrella of the National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NIFBTE), noted that the attack was totally condemnable, judging from the fact the congress president was in Imo State on a scheduled official labour assignment.
The union in a statement jointly signed by its president, Garba Ibrahim, and general secretary, Mike Olanrewaju, said, “It is barbaric, inhuman and demeaning that the state government and the security forces would descend to this level of beastly indulgence in handling labour and industrial relations matter”.
The union stressed that the NLC president deserves some modicum of decency, recognition and respect for his personal rights and his inalienable rights to freedom of association speech and human rights as enshrine in both the international chatter for human rights and the Nigerian Constitution.
“He deserved a much better treatment. We are certain that the goal is already dead on arrival if the motive of this conspiracy and attack was to intimidate and diminish his avowed will to protect the rights of Nigerian and in this instance, Imo State Workers,” the union said.
The union however enjoined the labour centre to ensure that such incidence was not treated with levity.
“While wishing him quick recovery, the food workers hereby enjoin the congress leadership and the entire labour movement to brace up for total industrial actions to redress this brazen act of undesirable impunity and checkmate any further reoccurrence by State actors and unprogressive elements,” the statement added.