Organised Labour, NLC, TUC Ask Nigerian Police To Vacate Rivers State Local Councils Or Face Protest
The two unions after holding an emergency joint state administrative council meeting in Port Harcourt said it was a wrong move by IGP Egbetokun knowing full well that the matter was still in court.
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and its counterpart, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have condemned the takeover of the 23 Local government Secretariats by the Nigerian police, while calling on the Inspector-General Of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately withdraw his men.
The two unions after holding an emergency joint state administrative council meeting in Port Harcourt said it was a wrong move by IGP Egbetokun knowing full well that the matter was still in court.
The State NLC Chairman, Alex Agwanwor, and his TUC counterpart, Ikechukwu Onyefuru, in a joint statement after the meeting, said workers had been denied access to the council for days causing loss of manpower hours.
The Unions also supported the ultimatum given by the state President of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, Cliffor Paul asking the police to vacate the premises of the local council secretariats within 24 hours or risk facing another round of protest as it was on standby for such.
The statement reads in part: “The councils-in-session commend the men and officers of the Nigeria Police force on its pro-activeness in maintaining law and order in the heat of recent political upheavals.
“However, the councils-in-session frowns seriously at the sealing of the 23 Local Government Councils Secretariat by men and officers of the Nigeria Police force for the reason of maintaining law and order thereby locking out our members from performing their statutory duty.
“Given the actions of the Nigeria Policemen, the quantum of man-hour loss since the occupation of the security agencies across the 23 Local Government Councils is irrecoverable and the attendant consequences of putting people off their job with no alternative means of engagement in the society are far too weighty to contend with in the instant case.”
“Consequently, the councils of both NLC and TUC call on the Inspector General of Police to immediately direct the Commissioner of Police Rivers State Command to allow legitimate workers of the various Local Government Councils to access their offices.
“More importantly, both councils of NLC and TUC unanimously uphold the ultimatum issued by the NULGE for the Nigeria police to vacate and allow unfettered access of Local Government Workers to access their Offices without further delay.”
On the call for the declaration of a state of emergency in the state by the State Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Chief Tony Okocha due to the violence caused by the local government crisis, the union described it as self-seeking.
“The councils-in-session unanimously condemn in strong terms the purported call for a State of Emergency in Rivers State by some supposed political leaders of the State which in all ramifications do not wish Rivers State People well, while we appreciate people’s rights to self-opinion it is also important not to allow self-centeredness override our sense of reasoning.
“The entire workers of Rivers State are hereby put on red alert of possible actions to protect and defend the interest of Rivers State workers.”
The Rivers State Police Command had earlier taken over all 23 local government areas’ secretariats to prevent further bloodshed and breakdown of law and order following the crisis over the tenure of local government chairmen in the state, which has now claimed two lives.
