Workers’ Rights Campaign (WRC) condemns the action of the Tinubu Regime over its continuous assault on peaceful protesters. The Right to assemble, freedom of movement and freedom of expression are all guaranteed rights under the Nigeria constitution and global human rights conventions. In the wake of the continuous hardship that has gripped the toiling workers, women and youth of the country and the deteriorating economic livelihood of the Nigeria people, the Nigeria people decided to hit the streets demanding that bad governance and government malfeasance must stop.
Rather than addressing this underlying crisis, the Tinubu Regime has initiated repressive and undemocratic methods to subvert the will of the people.
On 3 August, 2024 the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), adopted and arrested Comrade Eleojo Opaoluwa the Zonal Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees who is also the Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Kogi State Council in the most despicable manner, Comrade Opaoluwa left his house in Maraba, Nasarawa State where he was whisked away by armed security personnel in their vehicles (One Hilux and a Golf) with claims that he was one of the sponsors of the nationwide protest of #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria. This act is a gross violation of his right to enjoy freedom of movement. The WRC unequivocally condemns this act of tyranny.
Security agents also raided the national headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the wee hours of 7 August, 2024 with claims of searching its premises for items and materials that were supposedly used for the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Protest. This is similar to the experiences organised labour faced during the military era of the 1980s and 1990s. Nigerian workers have witnessed this type of an oppressive method by the Nigerian State, but the WRC is bewildered to question whether we are back to the hay days of the Military under a “democratic” rule. The working people, however, fought the military, the Tinubu Regime should be reminded that the Power of the People cannot be tamed by all this threat and assault.
The crisis of hunger and poverty are the sponsors of the EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Protest across Nigeria. According to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, over 40% of Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty with many children in a severe state of stunting malnutrition. In fact, the country has the largest number of people living in multidimensional poverty worldwide. Rather than addressing this concerns of the people, this regime has been busy through the National Assembly spending public funds on frivolous things such as acquiring Presidential Jet and bulletproof SUVs cars amongst other distasteful things, this regime should be reminded that it is sitting on a keg of gunpowder with its arbitrary lawlessness and gross infringement on the right of the people, the country which is torn apart with hunger, poverty, insecurity, maladministration, misdirected monetary and fiscal policies, rising unemployment and gulping inflation rate requires mass action of the working people to save the situation, trying to label the genuine fight of the people with threat is a shame and must stop immediately.
The Workers Rights Campaign, therefore, calls on the Tinubu regime to:
– Stop forthwith the arrest, harassment and intimidation of the toiling masses and people who are expressing their displeasure with the economic hardship and insecurity working-class people are facing all over the country.
– Stop actions that are geared towards threatening even the half-baked “democracy” we have in the country.
– Immediately and Unconditionally release Comrade Eleojo Opaoluwa, Comrade Adaramoye Michael, Comrade Mosiu Sodiq Abolaji, Comrade Patrick Owolabi, and all political detainees, seized over the roles in the recent #EndBadGovernance protest, and those arrested during the #EndSARS Rebellion, who are still being held four years after.
– All items and materials that were illegally taken away from the NLC Labour House should be immediately returned.
Ayemhenre Kelvin Lai Brown
National Coordinator National Secretary
