The Labour Party (LP) is demanding the deployment of the Imo State Commissioner of Police Mohammed Barde over the attack on the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Joe Ajaero.
The NLC chief was in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Wednesday to mobilise for a protest over unpaid salaries in the state. But he was brutalised by people suspected to be police officers after being arrested.
In the wake of the development, the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) called for Olarewaju’s deployment over the alleged complicity of the police in the incident. Days after their demand, LP is backing the labour unions.
“On that note, the Labour Party is aligning with the leadership of NLC and TUC to demand the immediate removal of the Commissioner of Police, Imo State, the Area Commander, and other officials who are believed to be involved in the mistreatment and degradation of Comrade Ajaero and fellow workers,” the LP said in a Saturday statement from its national spokesman Obiorah Ifoh.
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No Retreat, No Surrender
He said the party had earlier “petitioned the Chairman of the Police Service Commission on the continued stay in office and discharge of duties of the present Commissioner of Police in Imo state who once held sway of the Adamawa State Police Command.
“Even against the directive of the Commission, that the CP be redeployed immediately, he has blatantly disregarded the order.”
“We are using this medium to call on the Police hierarchy to immediately rejig the entire police structure in Imo state. Their role in the attack on Labour Union leaders was done in bad fate and clear evidence that someone is clearly blowing the trumpet they are dancing,” the statement added.
The LP called on Nigerian workers not to be intimidated by the development in Imo State but to “rise up to this moment and stand solidly behind their leaders in this difficult time and in this battle against the forces that have sworn to perpetually keep them in penury. No retreat, no surrender”.
