Mohammed Shosanya
Stakeholders in the nation’s power sector have implored the Federal Government to consider maximum security for the country’s infrastructure.
The advice came on the heels of the current threat by the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, to shut down the power sector if the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, is arrested.
The Intelligence Response Team, IRT, arm of the Nigerian Police Force, NPF, had Monday, August 19, invited Ajaero, for questioning over criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion and cybercrime.
A power expert,Kassim Adeyemi,advised the Minister of Power,Chief Bayo Adelabu to work with his defence counterparts with a view to providimg maximum security for critical power infrastructure.
He added:”He should also work with IGP, any attempt to plunge Nigeria into darkness should be treated as economic sabotage, period”.
Another expert,Yussuf Shuaibu Obosi,described the electricity workers’ strike threat as unreasonable.
He added:”This is unreasonable.When you use threats of strike at any slightest disagreement it becomes a nuisance to the country. Sometimes I imagine of the labour union know the effects of strike on the economy which they want to earn a decent wage from
“Why preempt the police.The man was invited,let him go and defend himself first.The nation is too big to be shut down sector for one man.
“Can any of the union leaders allow strikes as they do if they own private businesses ? We should be reasonable,please.Electricity is a matter of national security”.
NUEE’s Acting General Secretary, Igwebike Dominic, had in a statement noted with utter dismay the political machinations surrounding the police invitation of its General Secretary-cum-President of Nigeria Labour Congress – Comrade Joe Ajaero as a purported fall out of the politically-motivated investigation into an alleged trump up charges of terrorism financing, cybercrime, subversion, criminal conspiracy and treasonable felony against him.
The statement noted that it was not only embarrassing, but childish and clueless for the Federal Government of Nigeria to take to the antics of witch-hunting, harassment, intimidation and name-calling instead of coming out openly to apologize to the Congress and its leadership for the unlawful invasion of NLC National headquarters few days ago.
According to the statement, the choice by the Government to stifle labour and free speech in the country as a tool to compel Nigerians to continue to suffer in silence in the face of government policies that were not favorable to the people was quite deplorable.
The statement said, “Those in government, especially elected leaders, should be mindful of their actions in times like this, if they have the love of the country at heart.”
It emphasised that it was so painful to see this happening in a democracy where it is supposed to be ‘Government of the people, by the people and for the people’, lamenting that what Nigerians have is simply the government of the selected few, for themselves against the people.
The NUEE’s Acting General Secretary noted that it was a blatant abuse of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and International Labour Organization Conventions especially convention 87 and 98, was unacceptable and would be vehemently resisted.
The union condemned what it called government’s interference in the labour movement through the weapons of intimidation and official harassment of Labour Leaders, in the country, warning that in the event that Comrade Ajaero is arrested, they will have no choice but to go with the NLC directives.
NUEE called on their National, Zonal, State and Chapter leadership to commence immediate mobilization of their teaming members in generation, transmission and distribution to withdraw their services in the event that Comrade Joe Ajaero is arrested.