Editor
By Fatima Saka
The Trade Union Congress has alleged the Nigerian government of human rights abuse in United Kingdom.
This follows the commencement of its conference today in London, with its leader making erroneous claims about human rights violations in Nigeria.
This information is disclosed in a press release signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
The statement asserted: the Nigerian government was unjustly accused of rights abuse due to the fact that the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, was prevented from traveling abroad after he disregarded the invitation of a law enforcement agency conducting an ongoing investigation.
Ajaero, who perhaps perceives himself as exempt from legal obligations, was scheduled to speak at the same conference where the UK TUC leader criticized Nigeria. Nevertheless, his actions have serious repercussions, as no individual is above the law in Nigeria.
Evidently, according to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended), no individual is exempt from responding to the summons of law enforcement agencies and lawful investigations. Similar to the United Kingdom and other civilized nations, Nigeria is a nation governed by the rule of law as outlined in the Constitution.
We are unaware of any trade union leaders in the United Kingdom or anywhere in Europe and the United States who would blatantly disregard the invitation or summons of MI5 or Scotland Yard or show contempt towards the FBI to the extent Mr. Ajaero has towards law enforcement agencies in Nigeria.
For instance, in the United States, former President Donald Trump has been the subject of numerous investigations and legal proceedings in courts across several states since leaving office. Mr. Hunter Biden, the son of the President of the United States, has also been the subject of a legitimate investigation by the FBI.
Hence, we refute any insinuation and reference to human rights violations in Nigeria. The accusations made by the Trade Union Congress in the United Kingdom are therefore baseless and stem from a misinterpretation of the situation.
The Nigerian Government is under the leadership of a pro-democracy activist president who is committed to safeguarding civil liberties and the rights of all citizens.
There is no antagonistic relationship between the Labour Movement in Nigeria and the government.
Although labor unions and the government may not always see eye to eye on policy matters, the government has consistently demonstrated willingness to engage on any issue with labor despite the latter’s political affiliations.
Contrary to the mistaken impression being conveyed, the invitation extended by the Department of State Services to Mr. Ajaero is unrelated to his role as the President of NLC.
As a responsible Nigerian citizen, Mr. Ajaero should comply with any invitation from our security agencies and address any concerns that may arise during the investigation instead of inciting negative public opinion against the security agencies.
It is important to remind Nigerians and the global community that the federal government acknowledges that the labor movement exists to protect and uphold the interests of its members. It is also noteworthy that Labor, in many cases, advocates ideological positions that contradict economic realities.
Several ideological stances of the labor unions in Nigeria in the past have hindered the economic growth and development of the country and even compromised the material well-being of the workers and the underprivileged individuals they represent.
An example of this was the strong opposition of the NLC and TUC to the sale of Port-Harcourt and Kaduna Refineries to Bluestar Consortium, championed in 2007 by Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola, during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Seventeen years after the labor movement compelled the succeeding government of Umar Yar’ Adua to annul the sale of the two refineries, none of the four government-owned refineries were operational.
In contrast, Mr. Aliko Dangote, one of the proponents of Bluestar, has constructed the largest single-train refinery globally. In an unexpected turn of events, the same Labor Movement that vehemently opposed Dangote’s acquisition of the two refineries in 2007 commended him for completing his 650,000-bpd refinery in Lagos.
The administration of President Tinubu will continue to advocate for the best economic interests of Nigerians despite the prevailing challenges. It will also persist in implementing policies and initiatives that will enhance national economic productivity and foster prosperity for our citizens.
