From Emmanuel Uzor, Awka
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Anambra State chapter has called for a stronger synergy between police and the body for improved workers’welfare.
Chairman of NLC in Anambra, Humphrey Nwafor while speaking during a peaceful protest and special prayer session held in Awka in solidarity wit their National President, Joe Ajaero’s invitation by the police in Abuja said workers should be protected at all cost.
Nwafor explained that the protest and prayer session was in keeping with the directive of the National leadership of the NLC over the invitation of Ajaero by the Nigeria Police for interrogation over terrorism and other allegations.
The labour leaders marched from their Secretariat complex at Regina Celi in Awka, Anambra State capital to the police command headquarters in the state.
“We are here on National directive in solidarity with our National President, Joe Ajaero who was invited by police for questioning on accusations of terrorism, cyber crime and the rest of them. We are here on prayer procession, we marched from our Secretariat from Regina Celia down to this place.
“We prayed with the commissioner of Police. In all sincerity, police and organized labour, especially, NLC are supposed to be working in unionism because whatever we achieve or whatever struggle we are embarking on is for the good of the common man. So, police is not supposed to be used as an instrument to destabilize the labour movement in Nigeria. That’s our prayer,” he stated.
The state Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam who was represented by the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations (ACP) Anietie Eyoh said the invitation of the NLC President, Ajaero by the police was not out of place as he is expected to answer questions bordering on all the allegations leveled against him.
“Any person that is accused of being involved in any crime or any form of criminality, the police have the right to invite him. And so, if the police invited him it’s for him to go and clarify himself and say it’s not the truth. And inviting him is even an honour by the police, knowing that they know where to find him; they know where he is and they know him as a public figure. And so if there is any allegation against him they invite him to come and clear the grey areas.