Nigerian telecoms and power workers have threatened to shut down the national grid and telecom services at midnight on Wednesday if the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, is detained by the Nigeria Police Force.
On Tuesday, Dominic Igwebike, General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees, and Mary Nwosu, General Secretary of the National Union of Postal and Telecommunications Employees, issued separate notifications.
This comes after the police called Ajaero for interrogation on Tuesday on suspicions of terrorist funding and other charges in a letter sent on Monday.
The NLC’s president, in a letter to the police on Tuesday, declined the invitation since it arrived late.
Ajaero did, however, set aside Wednesday, August 29, to honour the offer.
Meanwhile, in response to the news, NUEE, NUPTE, and other unions have pledged to strike if Ajaero is detained.
According to a message to members, the NUEE, which consists of workers at the Transmission Company of Nigeria, stated: “That upon the arrest of the NLC President or any other Labour Leader, all workers are to down tools from 12 midnight on August 21, 2024.”
Similarly, NUPTE, which represents workers in Nigeria’s postal and telecommunications sectors, followed NUEE’s lead.
Following a meeting on Tuesday, the NLC announced that if Ajaero is arrested, it will go on strike nationally.
The situation poses a risk to Nigeria’s economy, as power and telecoms are the engine rooms.
Recall that on June 3, the National Grid was shut down as a blackout struck Nigeria after workers went on indefinite strike.
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cc: Daily Post Ng
