By Ono Yima
Details have emerged about the recent Police interrogation of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) over allegations of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime
On August 19, the Police summoned Ajaero for questioning on August 20. Sources revealed that the interrogation, which lasted less than 30 minutes, was attended by human rights activists Femi Falana, SAN, Maxwell Opara, Deji Adeyanju, and IRT leader DCP Sanusi Mohammed. Officials from the Department of State Services (DSS) and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) were also present.
The focus of the questioning was on the operator of the Iva Valley Bookshop located on the second floor of Labour House. Ajaero reportedly clarified that the suspect was merely a tenant of the NLC and had no consulting relationship or communication with the union.
“At some point, Comrade Ajaro was almost infuriated because they (interrogators) were just calling Joseph Ajaero without reference to his official position as NLC President.
‘’In a normal situation, the Police ought to have just called the NLC president for the invitation and not write him
“They failed to do so because of their sinister motives. In all, it was like a friendly chat that did not last up to 30 minutes,’’ the source said.
Invitation, a distraction, baseless
Upon returning from the Force Headquarters, Ajaero addressed journalists at Labour House, dismissing the allegations against him as baseless and a mere distraction. He asserted that the labor movement would not be intimidated by such tactics.
He said: “Comrades, I want to thank every one of you in various state commands who have been praying since the last four days and can now break their fast.
“Comrades, the labour movement is worth dying for because of its patriotism and commitment. Labour movement is one of the biggest pan-Nigerian organizations. Our patriotism from the days of colonial government till even the period of the military was unshakable.
“We are more patriotic than any other institution you can think of in this country and we are going to continue to be that.
“We have gone there (Force Headquartres) and we are back. I just want to confirm to you that as a citizen, I have gone there and we are back here. You can’t do this job (trade unionism) we are doing without this type of hazard, it is expected.
“This is the highlight of the job. Even at the unit level, some of us experienced this. As far back as 1997, 1998 I was telling Falana, we were equally together in the cell enjoying ourselves during the time of Abacha.
“Comrades what is important is the circumstances that took us to that place. But whatever the case is, we are out to continue the struggle. We have got minimum wage but it has not been implemented. So we have to press for its implementation as soon as possible.’’
We can’t be intimidated
After his appearance at the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) headquarters in Abuja, Ajaero firmly stated that the union would not bow to external pressures. “We can’t be intimidated. The allegations against us are baseless, and we have nothing to hide,” he declared.
Ajaero emphasized that his appearance before the Police was to ensure transparency and address the unfounded accusations against him and the NLC. He affirmed the union’s commitment to defending workers’ welfare and remaining steadfast in the face of challenges, trusting in the system to uphold justice.
“Our resolve is stronger than ever. We will continue to champion the cause of workers across the nation, no matter the obstacles,’’ he said.
Source: Vanguard