By Busari Kabirat
Amid looming strike, the Department of State Services, (DSS), has released the Nigeria Labour Congress President, Joe Ajaero.
The release which happened on administrative bail, in the late hours on Monday, was considered a move to divert a serious economy shutdown.
This was made known on Monday midnight in a statement by Omoyele Sowore on his X social media handle, confirming the release of Ajaero, he wrote; “BREAKING: The fascist regime of @officialABAT has released the @NLCHeadquarters President Joe Ajaero from @OfficialDSSNG custody on bail.”
This is coming after NLC threatened to shut down the country’s economy if the NLC president, Ajaero, was not released before Monday midnight.
Ajero’s arrest has developed condemnation amongst NLC and Trade Union Congress calling for him to be released with immediate effect and if not, all affiliate to the unions are already on standby for action which the National Union of Electricity Employees, (NUEE) is one of them and has already issued a notice on grid shutdown if need be, if Ajaero was not released on Monday.
According to report from the NLC spokesperson, Benson Upah, had on Monday said, the clampdown by the DSS may spread like a virus across the civic space in Nigeria.
Noting that the arrest of Ajaero was an organized crime by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration against the people and that the media organizations may be clamped down upon by the DSS in the coming days.
He said, “This arrest is not limited to the Nigeria Labour Congress, organized labour. This clampdown will spread viral. It is an organized crime against the people of this country. Who has been beaten and told not to cry.
“This is the beginning. We do anticipate worse things to happen. The signals are quite clear. Organs of NLC are to meet to make decisions as the case may be.
“There is the possibility of the clampdown spreading to the media. The threat is real.”
