NLC President, Ajaero, Arrested In Owerri, Imo State

Operatives of the Police Command in Imo State, on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 arrested the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero.

It was gathered that the NLC President was immediately whisked away by the police operatives from the Labour Secretariat, venue of the ongoing protest in Owerri, the Imo state capital.

This is as sponsored hoodlums descended of NLC members that gathered for the protest against anti-workers policies of the Governor Hope Uzodinma-led administration.

The hoodlums attacked the protesting workers as well as smashed parked vehicles and inflicted injuries on members of the NLC that were caught unaware by the attacks.

Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero is still unknown as the heavily armed security operatives that forcefully arrested and took him away without allowing other officials to know their destination.

Before his sudden arrest, the NLC President had directed all members of the Congress and its affiliates to shut down all sectors in Imo State, including air, land, and sea, to send a strong signal marking the commencement of the protest by the union.

Ajaero had announced the commencement of the protest at the end of the NLC Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting held in the late hours of Tuesday, October 31, 2023, in Owerri, the state capital where he pointedly accused Governor Uzodimma of deliberately violating and neglecting the welfare of workers.

Ajaero noted that as a result of the hostile actions of Governor Uzodinma towards workers in the state, many of them had died owing to lack of payment of their salaries.

The NLC President specifically lamented the non-compliance with the national minimum wage by the state government, stressing that Uzodimma purposely refused to implement previous agreements, especially the accord reached between the Imo State Government and the NLC on January 9, 2021.