State Of Emergency: Organised Labour Vows To Shut Down Rivers State, If…
The Organized Labour on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, warned that it may be left with no choice than to shut down economic and social activities in Rivers state if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu fails to reverse the State of Emergency imposed on the state within a reasonable period of time.
President Tinubu had on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, declared a State of Emergency on Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and members of the State House of Assembly.
However, the presidential proclamation of the State of Emergency has elicited widespread condemnation both within and outside the Country, as well as across political party lines with majority of the people describing it as a flagrant abuse of powers and an assault on rule of law and democracy.
Following the development, the Organized Labour in Rivers State, has declared that it is determined and prepared to explore actions that may have serious consequences on the national economy and other activities should President Tinubu continue to ignore popular calls for the rescinding of the State of Emergency with a military sole administrator.
The Organised Labour’s threat is coming barely 24 hours after the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), vowed not to recognize what it tagged an “unconstitutional arrangement in Rivers state”.
The NBA pointedly called on President Tinubu to, immediately, reverse the State of Emergency Rule inRivers State.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 by Alex Agwanwor and Ikechukwu Onyefuru, Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and Trade Union Congress (TUC), respectively for the Rivers State Chapter of the Organised Labour, strongly condemned President Tinubu’s action.
The Labour leaders expressed serious concern over the short and long term effects of such a glaring unpopular and unconstitutional decision on the State, stressing that the suspension of the Governor, his Deputy and members of the State Assembly, was an exercise carried out prematurely, and without any convincing bases.
The Organized Labour warned that the people of Rivers will not tolerate any attempt to unduly undermine their constitutionally guaranteed right to freely choose their leaders, stressing that the action taken by President Tinubu to suspend Governor Fubara and other elected public officers in the State, was an act calculated to infringe on the rights of the people of Rivers state.
The also criticised what they described as “the chain of hardship” which the State of Emergency has so far inflicted on Local Council workers, many of whom they claimed have been unable to receive their salaries.
The Labour leaders noted that the State of Emergency, could trigger some serious economic consequences both for Rivers State and the country if not urgently reversed, emphasising that the country is already grappling with myriads of challenges including spiralling inflationary trend, Naira devaluation, high exchange rates, rising unemployment, and high cost of living.
The organized labour therefore stressed the urgent need for the President Tinubu-led administration to place the safety, welfare of the citizens, above political interests.
They warned that it will be counterproductive for the Government to prioritize political manoeuvring over the wellbeing of the already over stressed and suffering citizens of Rivers state.
They called on the President, the National Assembly, and the Judiciary to explore all possible steps towards overturning the State of Emergency in Rivers State.
The Labour Unions warned that failure by the relevant authorities to end the clearly unjust State of Emergency in the State, could lead to the escalation of the already tense political atmosphere in the state, stressing that they would not hesitate to take decisive actions if their demand is not met within a reasonable time-frame.
