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The Federal Government yesterday rejected the description of the arrest and quizzing of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero as human rights abuses.
It urged all to allow security agencies do their work.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, in a statement, said: “We reject any notion and allusion to human rights violations in Nigeria. The accusations made by the TUC UK are, thus, unfounded and based on a misunderstanding of the situation.
“Besides, the Nigerian Government is being led by a pro-democracy activist president who will do everything to protect civil liberties and the rights of all citizens.
“There is no adversarial relationship between the Labour Movement in Nigeria and the government.
“While Labour unions and the government may not always agree on policy direction, the government has consistently shown readiness to engage on any issue with Labour despite the latter’s political partisanship.
“Contrary to the erroneous impression being created, the invitation extended by the Department of State Services to Mr. Ajaero has nothing to do with his role as the President of NLC.
“As a responsible citizen of Nigeria, Mr. Ajaero should honour any invitation from our security agencies and resolve any issues that may arise during the investigation instead of stirring adverse public opinion against the security agencies.
“It is worth reminding Nigerians and the global community that the Federal Government recognises that the labour movement exists to protect and defend the interests of its members. What is also worth noting is that Labour, in most cases, only advances ideological positions that fly in the face of economic realities.
“Many ideological stances of the labour unions in Nigeria in the past have only stunted the economic growth and development of the country and even compromised the material well-being of the workers and the poor people they protect.
“A case in point was the strong opposition of the NLC and TUC to the sale of Port-Harcourt and Kaduna Refineries to Bluestar Consortium, promoted in 2007 by Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola, during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“Seventeen years after the labour movement forced the successor government of Umar Yar’ Adua to cancel the sale of the two refineries, none of the four government-owned refineries worked.
“In the obverse, Mr. Aliko Dangote, one of the promoters of Bluestar, has built the largest single-train refinery in the world.
“In a twist of fate, the same Labour Movement that fiercely opposed Dangote from taking over the two refineries in 2007 hailed him on completing his 650,000-bpd refinery in Lagos.
“The administration of President Tinubu will continue to promote the best economic interest of Nigerians despite the current challenges. It will also continue to pursue policies and programmes that will expand national economic output and create prosperity for our citizens.”
Onanuga maintained that the Nigerian Government was “wrongly and falsely accused” of rights abuse because Ajaero was stopped from traveling abroad after he snubbed a law enforcement agency’s invitation.
He emphasized that no one is above the law in Nigeria, citing the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended).
The statement highlighted Ajaero’s actions as having “serious consequences” and compared his behavior to that of individuals in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (U.S.), who would not ignore the summons of law enforcement agencies like MI5, Scotland Yard, or the FBI.
He said: “The Nigerian Government was wrongly and falsely accused of rights abuse because the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, was stopped from travelling abroad after he snubbed the invitation of a law enforcement agency conducting an ongoing investigation.
TUC demands unconditional release of Ajaero
“Ajaero, who probably considers himself above the law, was slated to speak at the same conference where the UK TUC leader attacked Nigeria. His actions, however, have serious consequences, as no one is above the law in Nigeria.
“Clearly, under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended), no person is above the summons of law enforcement agencies and lawful investigation. Like the United Kingdom and other civilised nations, Nigeria is a country of law governed by the Constitution.
“We are not aware that there is anyone in the UK or anywhere in Europe and the U.S., trade union leaders inclusive, who will flagrantly ignore the invitation or summons of MI5 or Scotland Yard or treat the FBI with the level of disdain Mr. Ajaero has subjected law enforcement agencies in Nigeria.
“In the United States, for example, former President Donald Trump has been the subject of numerous investigations and prosecutions in courts in several states since he left office. Mr. Hunter Biden, son of the President of the United States, has been the subject of a lawful investigation by the FBI.”
The DSS denied that its men unlawfully invaded SERAP’s Abuja and Lagos offices.
The Service in an official email from its Public Relations Office dsspr@dss.gov.ng described the claims as “inaccurate and misleading.”
According to the DSS, a team of two unarmed operatives was sent to the SERAP office in Abuja as part of a routine investigation.
The Service said the visit was misinterpreted as an unlawful invasion, harassment and intimidation of SERAP officials.
The DSS emphasized that such official enquiries and liaison are standard practice and do not constitute illegality or a raid.
The agency assured that it would conduct an in-depth investigation into the malicious claims and urged citizens to participate in national security management.
The DSS reiterated its commitment to professionalism in carrying out its core mandate and urged the public to disregard the false narratives surrounding the incident.
“The Department of State Services (DSS) has been inundated with multiple enquiries on its alleged unlawful invasion of SERAP offices in Abuja and Lagos.”
The NLC National Executive Council (NEC) meeting earlier scheduled for yesterday did not hold, following the release of Ajaero on Monday night.
Although, the NLC celebrated its president’s release, it, however, said Ajaero would undergo comprehensive medical check.
The NLC said the well-being of its President was paramount, adding that “we will not rest until we are assured that his health is intact.”
The NLC said this in a statement signed by its Deputy President, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju.
