In a strongly worded statement, the Nigerian Presidency has rebuffed accusations of human rights abuses leveled by the United Kingdom’s Trade Union Congress (TUC) regarding the recent arrest of Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).
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The controversy started after Ajaero was prevented from traveling abroad to speak at a UK TUC conference, following his alleged refusal to honour an invitation from law enforcement agencies conducting an ongoing investigation.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, asserted in a press release that Nigeria is “a country governed by law” and denied any human rights violations
“Clearly, under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended), no person is above the summons of law enforcement agencies and lawful investigation. Like the United Kingdom and other civilised nations, Nigeria is a country of law governed by the Constitution.
“We are not aware that there is anyone in the United Kingdom or anywhere in Europe and the United States, trade union leaders inclusive, who will flagrantly ignore the invitation or summons of MI5 or Scotland Yard or treat the FBI with the level of disdain Mr Ajaero has subjected law enforcement agencies in Nigeria,” Onanuga stated.
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Drawing comparisons with other democracies, Onanuga noted that even high-profile figures like former U.S. President Donald Trump and Hunter Biden, son of the current U.S. President, have faced investigations.
“In the United States, for example, former President Donald Trump has been the subject of numerous investigations and prosecutions in courts in several states since he left office. Mr. Hunter Biden, son of the President of the United States, has been the subject of a lawful investigation by the FBI.
“We, therefore, reject any notion and allusion to human rights violations in Nigeria. The accusations made by the Trade Union Congress in the United Kingdom are, thus, unfounded and based on a misunderstanding of the situation,” the presidential aide added.
The presidency stressed that the invitation extended to Ajaero by the Department of State Services (DSS) was unrelated to his role as NLC President. The presidency urged Ajaero to cooperate with security agencies as a responsible citizen.
Responding to the UK TUC’s condemnation, which described Ajaero’s arrest as “blatant intimidation” and a violation of trade union freedoms, the presidency dismissed the claims as “unfounded” and based on a misunderstanding of the situation.
Quoting Onanuga further, “As a responsible citizen of Nigeria, Mr Ajaero should honour any invitation from our security agencies and resolve any issues that may arise during the investigation instead of stirring adverse public opinion against the security agencies.
“It is worth reminding Nigerians and the global community that the federal government recognises that the labour movement exists to protect and defend the interests of its members. What is also worth noting is that Labour, in most cases, only advances ideological positions that fly in the face of economic realities.
“Many ideological stances of the labour unions in Nigeria in the past have only stunted the economic growth and development of the country and even compromised the material well-being of the workers and the poor people they protect.
“A case in point was the strong opposition of the NLC and TUC to the sale of Port-Harcourt and Kaduna Refineries to Bluestar Consortium, promoted in 2007 by Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola, during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“Seventeen years after the labour movement forced the successor government of Umar Yar’ Adua to cancel the sale of the two refineries, none of the four government-owned refineries worked.
“In the obverse, Mr. Aliko Dangote, one of the promoters of Bluestar, has built the largest single-train refinery in the world. In a twist of fate, the same Labour Movement that fiercely opposed Dangote from taking over the two refineries in 2007 hailed him on completing his 650,000-bpd refinery in Lagos.”