THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Rivers State have decided to halt their scheduled protest due to the ongoing police blockade at the local government area secretariats.
The chairpersons of the labor organizations explained that they called off the protest after learning about potential attempts by certain individuals to instigate violence while pretending to be affiliated with the labor groups.
NLC Chairman, Alex Agwanwor, during a joint press conference in Port Harcourt today, urged law enforcement to detain anyone protesting tomorrow under the unions’ banner.
He advised members of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), who had initially proposed the protest, to await further instructions from the labor authorities.
Additionally, NLC Chairman Alex Agwanwor and TUC Chair Ikechukwu Onyefuru dismissed claims made by former Local Government Chairmen that state labor leaders are patisan.
The unions had previously requested the police, who had assumed control over local government secretariats in the state, to vacate the council premises.
Discussions during the Friday meeting centered around three primary issues: the formation and installment of Caretaker Committees in the 23 Local Government Areas, the All Progressives Congress (APC) demand for a state of emergency in the state, and the police’s takeover of council secretariats.
Acknowledging the police’s efforts to sustain peace, the NLC leader in the state asserted that preventing workers from entering their offices violated their rights.
He urged the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to direct the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to allow workers access to their offices for their legitimate duties.
The labor organizations cautioned that should their plea be disregarded, they would mobilize their members to reclaim their offices.