FG Dismisses TUC's Human Rights Abuse Claims
FG Rejects TUC's Allegations of Rights Abuses
“The Nigerian government was wrongly and falsely accused of rights abuse because the NLC President, Joe Ajaero...”
Nigerian government rejects human rights abuse allegations following labour Leader's Detention by DSS, cites standard procedures.
The Federal Government has refuted claims of human rights abuses after the brief detention of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero by the Department of State Services (DSS). Ajaero was arrested and released on Monday, sparking accusations from various organizations, including the Trade Union Congress (TUC), that the government was persecuting the labour leader.
In a statement released on Tuesday in Abuja, Presidential Adviser Bayo Onanuga countered the allegations, denying any wrongdoing by the government. Onanuga's rebuttal aimed to address concerns raised by the TUC and other groups following Joe Ajaero's arrest.
“The Trade Union Congress in the United Kingdom opened its conference today in London, with its leader making false claims about human rights abuses and violations in Nigeria,” the statement said.
“The Nigerian government was wrongly and falsely accused of rights abuse because the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, was stopped from travelling abroad after he snubbed the invitation of a law enforcement agency conducting an ongoing investigation.
“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.
Onanuga defended the DSS's actions, stating that they were in line with standard procedures followed by security agencies globally, even in the most established democratic nations.
“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 M15 or Scotland Yard or treat the FBI with the level of disdain Mr Ajaero has subjected law enforcement agencies in Nigeria,” the statement added.
“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.”
Onanuga pointed to President Bola Tinubu's history as a champion of democracy and human rights during the military era, arguing that it is inconsistent with the government's character to infringe on citizens' rights, given the President's proven track record of advocating for democratic values.
The statement added: “Besides, the Nigerian Government is being led by a pro-democracy activist president who will do everything to protect civil liberties and the rights of all citizens.
“There is no adversarial relationship between the Labour Movement in Nigeria and the government.
“While labour unions and the government may not always agree on policy direction, the government has consistently shown readiness to engage on any issue with labour despite the latter's political partisanship.
“Contrary to the erroneous impression being created, the invitation extended by the Department of State Services to Mr. Ajaero has nothing to do with his role as the President of NLC
“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.”
Onanuga noted that labour unions have previously misguided their efforts, citing their opposition to the privatization of non-functional refineries as an example of the unions fighting the wrong battle.
“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,” the statement noted.
“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.
“The administration of President Tinubu will continue to promote the best economic interest of Nigerians despite the current challenges. It will also continue to pursue policies and programmes that will expand national economic output and create prosperity for our citizens.”
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