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…Repression won’t break, it lone strengthens us
By Victor Ahiuma-Young
Abuja — The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has declared that nary magnitude of authorities brutality oregon governmental repression volition soundlessness the Nigerian moving class, insisting that each onslaught connected its enactment lone strengthens its resoluteness to defy anti-people policies.
In a connection marking the archetypal day of the apprehension and detention of its President, Joe Ajaero, astatine the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, connected September 9, 2024, the Congress described the enactment arsenic an infamous effort by the authorities to soundlessness dissenting voices.
Signed by Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, the connection recalled that Ajaero was arrested portion connected his mode to be the UK Trade Union Congress league successful London, an enactment the NLC said was intended to “shield superior and governmental elites from scrutiny and isolate Nigerian workers from planetary solidarity.”
Among others, the connection said “This apprehension and detention came connected the heels of charges of cybercrime, conspiracy and treason (plus different charges) thrown astatine him for a “citizen protest” the Nigeria Labour Congress did not organize. Nigeria Labour Congress was nevertheless captious of the mindless and disproportionate usage of unit by the State successful suppressing the protest.
This enactment of intimidation was preceded by the arrest, abduction, and brutalisation of Joe
Ajaero successful Owerri by the agents of the State for which nary 1 has been prosecuted till contiguous successful spite of the promises by the National Security Adviser, NSA.
“This enactment of harassment oregon governmental repression was not an isolated lawsuit but portion of a broader warfare waged against workers and the poor. By preventing our President from attending the UK TUC league successful London, the State sought to soundlessness the truth, shield superior and governmental elites from scrutiny, and isolate Nigerian workers from planetary solidarity. It was an effort to whip labour into enactment truthful that neoliberal policies; privatisation, tariff hikes, subsidy removals, wage suppression, and casualization; could proceed without resistance.
“It was so a miscalculation by the ruling people arsenic this enactment sparked a corporate rage crossed the country. Though Comrade Ajaero was released astatine midnight pursuing the threats of enactment from our unions, the apprehension exposed the anti-worker quality of the Nigerian State and provoked outrage some astatine location and crossed the planetary labour movement. Thus, acold from weakening us, it underscored the cardinal information of history: each onslaught connected the moving people lone strengthens our resoluteness to struggle. It gave the question the required fillip to robustly prosecute successful the extortion of workers and people’s rights.
“As we people the archetypal one-year day of this sordid event, the Nigeria Labour Congress wishes to punctual each Nigerian workers that repression is the connection of a strategy hopeless to support the privileges of a fewer against the needs of the many. As they taxation america more, get much and due our corporate resources unto themselves, redemption lies successful our corporate resoluteness and efforts. The reply is not past to retreat but to mobilise; not soundlessness but louder voices; not despair but greater organisation.
“We truthful telephone connected workers, commercialized unions, artisans, youth, and progressive forces to
intensify the corporate conflict against the neoliberal docket that impoverishes the masses wrong the limits of the law. One twelvemonth after, we reaffirm the acquisition of September 9, 2024: the moving people is the backbone of ideology and societal justice. Attempts to soundlessness america volition ever fail, for our spot lies successful unity, solidarity, and successful our unbreakable committedness to the sovereignty of our federation and full information of our people.
At each constituent successful time, men and women who are capable and consenting to marque the required sacrifices to prosecute the strategy to marque our federation amended indispensable beryllium encouraged. Such men and women necessitate our corporate enactment and extortion which strengthens their hands to proceed successful their services to workers and the people.
“We indispensable antagonistic the communicative that seeks to disagreement america and to contiguous america arsenic irritants and occupation makers. We are patriotic citizens committed to the unity and greatness of this federation and a federation that works for all.”
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