Electricity workers ask members to withdraw services nationwide after attack on NLC president

Electricity workers under the auspices of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has asked their members to withdraw their services nationwide by midnight Thursday.

The union said the action was to protest the alleged arrest and brutalization of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, by the police Wednesday during a protest rally in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

Following Ajaero’s alleged attack and brutalization by security agents in Imo State, NLC said the leadership of organised labour will convene an emergency meeting soon to take a definite position on the matter.

NLC’s Head of Information and Publicity, Benson Upah, who spoke to THISDAY on telephone on Thursday, said that a meeting of all organs of the labour movement will be convened to review the action of the police and the Imo State government during the protest organised by the NLC in Owerri.

He said that any of the affiliate unions is free within the laws to take any measure to express their outrage at the Owerri incident.

But in a letter titled: ‘Mobilization for Indefinite Nationwide Strike due to the Abduction of the NLC President, Joe Ajaero’, the union described as callous and inhuman the treatment meted out to Ajaero who doubles as the General Secretary of NUEE.

The letter addressed to all branches of the union and signed by its Deputy General Secretary, Dominic Igwwbuike, stated: “In response to the attrocious and inhuman behaviours of our fellow comrade and the President of the NLC by the Imo State governor and the policemen of the Imo State Command today, Wednesday, November 1, 2023, we will embark on total shutdown of the nation if the president is not released and adequate explanation given by the Nigerian government.

“To this effect, all the national, state and chapter executives are requested to start mobilization of our members for total compliance with the directive.

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“Please note that withdrawal of services commences nationwide at 00.00 hours of Thursday, November 2, 2023.

“We cannot be at work while the president of the NLC is incarcerated and we cannot be at peace when the rights of workers in Imo State are trampled upon with utmost impunity.”