Repression won’t break us – NLC says on anniversary of Ajaero’s arrest

Repression won’t break us – NLC says on anniversary of Ajaero’s arrest

By Jeffrey Agbo

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared that no amount of state brutality or political repression will break the resolve of the Nigerian working class, insisting that every attack on its leadership only deepens its commitment to resist anti-people policies.

The union made the declaration in a statement marking the first anniversary of the arrest and detention of its President, Joe Ajaero, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on September 9, 2024.

Signed by Acting General Secretary Benson Upah, the statement described Ajaero’s arrest while en route to the UK Trade Union Congress conference in London as an infamous attempt to “shield capital and political elites from scrutiny and isolate Nigerian workers from international solidarity.”

The NLC recalled that the detention followed earlier charges of cybercrime, conspiracy, and treason linked to a “citizen protest” which, according to the union, it did not organise. It also cited Ajaero’s earlier abduction and brutalisation in Owerri, for which it said no one has been prosecuted despite promises from the National Security Adviser.

The Congress said: “This arrest and detention came on the heels of charges of cybercrime, conspiracy and treason (plus other charges) thrown at him for a ‘citizen protest’ the Nigeria Labour Congress did not organize.

“This act of intimidation was preceded by the arrest, abduction, and brutalisation of Joe Ajaero in Owerri by the agents of the State for which no one has been prosecuted till today in spite of the promises by the National Security Adviser, NSA.

“It was indeed a miscalculation by the ruling class as this action sparked a collective rage across the country… Thus, far from weakening us, it underscored the central truth of history: every attack on the working class only strengthens our resolve to struggle.”

The NLC maintained that repression is the weapon of a system bent on protecting elite privileges while impoverishing the masses through policies such as privatisation, tariff hikes, subsidy removal, wage suppression, and casualisation.

Marking the anniversary, the statement reaffirmed that “the working class is the backbone of democracy and social justice” and urged workers, trade unions, artisans, youth, and progressive groups to “intensify the collective struggle against the neoliberal agenda that impoverishes the masses within the limits of the law.”

The Congress also emphasised the need to support leaders willing to make sacrifices for national progress, stressing: “We must counter the narrative that seeks to divide us and to present us as irritants and trouble makers. We are patriotic citizens committed to the unity and greatness of this nation and a nation that works for all.”