THE African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has condemned the recent invasion of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) headquarters by armed security agents.
In a letter by the General Secretary, ITUC-Africa, Comrade Akhator Odigie, addressed to President Bola Tinubu, workers in the black continent expressed “grave concern and strong condemnation” of the incident.
The invasion, described as a “blatant violation” of fundamental rights, has sparked outrage among African workers, who stand in solidarity with the NLC.
The union demanded the immediate withdrawal of security operatives from the Labour House, return of confiscated materials and a public apology.
Odigie said the ITUC-Africa condemns the actions, saying it is reminiscent of “Gestapo regimes” and a threat to Nigeria’s democratic fabric.
He emphasised that the principles of democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights are essential for stability and development.
ITUC-Africa urged President Tinubu to take immediate action to rectify the situation, including withdrawing security forces from the Labour House, returning seized items and issuing a public apology to the NLC.
“The African trade union community is shocked and strongly denounces the attacks against protesters and the invasion of the NLC building in a manner that makes Nigeria’s worst and dark military rule era pale in comparison. Nigeria espouses the practice of the rule of law, which abhors juvenile and jungle actions displayed in recent days by Nigerian security operations.
“The actions of these security operatives are not only a violation of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the rights of citizens to freely associate and express themselves (Chapter IV, Section 40), but also an apparent infringement of international conventions to which Nigeria is a signatory,” Odigie said.
The regional organisation said it supports the NLC’s demand for an international inquiry into the invasion, ensuring accountability for those responsible.
Odigie, in his letter, reminded the president that harassment and intimidation of trade unions, which are fundamental pillars in the fight for social justice and workers’ rights, diminish and contradict the principles of democracy.
He said, “We are also deeply concerned about the broader implications of these actions, particularly the potential to instil fear and suppress legitimate dissent within civil society. Such a strategy of intimidation is not befitting of a democratic nation and will only serve to aggravate tensions in a country already facing significant socio-economic challenges. We reiterate our earlier call on your government to embrace genuine and inclusive dialogue and to deploy clampdown and iron fist tactics.”
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