Labour suspends planned protests due to police presence in Rivers LGAs

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Rivers State have cancelled a planned protest against the ongoing police blockade in front of the secretariats of local government authorities.

The decision to suspend the protest came after reports emerged that calls for potential violence were being made under the guise of union activities.

During a joint press conference in Port Harcourt on Sunday, NLC Chairman Alex Agwanwor called on the police to arrest anyone attempting to protest on behalf of the unions on Monday in order to maintain public order and ensure the safety of all those involved.

Agwanwor also appealed to members of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), who had originally called for the protest, to withdraw from the protests and await further instructions from the central labour authorities.

Addressing the allegations of partisanship, Agwanwor and his TUC colleague Ikechukwu Onyefuru refuted the claims of former local government chairmen, stressing the non-partisan stance of the union leaders in the state.

The planned protests were triggered by the police’s occupation of local government secretariats. Union leaders argue that this illegally restricts workers’ access to their workplaces.

On Friday, union leaders officially asked the police to vacate the town hall premises, citing the constitution and the ongoing political disputes in the state, including the call by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to declare a state of emergency.

While acknowledging the role of the police in maintaining peace, Agwanwor argued that banning access to workplaces was a violation of workers’ rights.

He called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to instruct the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State to allow staff to return to their offices to carry out their duties.

The unions announced that they were ready to mobilise their members to demand their right to access their workplaces if their demands continued to be ignored.