The maltreatment suffered by the leadership of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Joe Ajaero in the hands of thugs in Imo State has continued to elicit anger amongst all trade unions.

Ajaero was said to have been beaten hopelessly by those they described as political thugs while fighting the cause of the state workers.

The development has been attracting condemnation across the country and has spread to the country’s aviation sector where the aviation unions have put all aviation workers on red alert in solidarity with Ajaero.

The unions, the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) and the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) in a joint statement, called on all aviation workers to stand ready for action against Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma over the brutal treatment given the NLC President as will soon be directed.

The unions in the joint statement declared: “November 1, 2023, will go down as one of the darkest spots on Nigeria’s democratic credentials. On that date, the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, was beaten and brutalized by the goons of the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, in the form of official thugs.

“While Comrade Ajaero was being beaten up, officers of the Nigerian Police Force, paid by taxes from workers, did nothing to protect him. Instead, after supporting the thugs in their barbaric act against Comrade Ajaero, the Police abducted him to a hidden location and further manhandled him. It is most unfortunate that this story of sheer barbarism actually happened in 21st-century Nigeria.

“No one thought that a Governor could descend to such abysmal level of disgrace to utilize such crude means of striking back at a perceived enemy. And no one thought that the Nigerian Police Force could be such a coercive tool in the hands of a government official against the very people they are supposed to protect. This is more perplexing considering the efforts of the current Inspector General of Police a new face of civility. In all of this, the only crime of Comrade Ajaero is acting out his statutory role of fighting for the rights of Imo State workers as the President of NLC, in implementing the decision of the National Executive Council of the Congress.

“Clearly, by the above narrative, the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma has overreached himself. Uzodimma has murdered sleep, and he shall sleep no more. Accordingly, we, the above-named aviation unions stand together in total condemnation of the actions of Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, as well as the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command. We state unequivocally that we stand ready to act as may be directed by NLC to black out Imo State from the aviation map and take further actions against the person of Hope Uzodimma as we deem fit until the needful is done.

“By this release, all aviation workers are hereby placed on red alert; to stand ready for action against Hope Uzodimma as will soon be directed. Injury to one is an injury to all! Solidarity forever!!!” they said. (Nigerian Tribune)

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