Trade Union Congress’ (TUC) President, Festus Osifo, says ex-President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Adams Oshiomhole does not have enough information on the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Unions.
Recall that on Tuesday, the former Edo State Governor, said the ongoing strike is politically motivated adding that priorities were misplaced.
Speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, Osifo said Oshiomhole, the Senator representing Edo North, commented on the strike based on information passed from the presidential villa.
Oshiomhole, a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, asked organised labour to prioritise the rights of workers rather than engage in politics.
During the interview, Osifo said Oshiomhole who is busy with national politics, should have reached out to union leaders for facts.
According to him, Joe Ajaero, NLC’s President, did not travel to Imo state on November 1 to entertain political issues.
“Our senior comrade, Adams Oshiomhole, is giving opinion based on the information he has.
“Today, he is a senator who is busy with national politics. I think he does not have sufficient information, maybe later we will give him as much information as possible, once he reaches out.
“He went to the villa to meet with them. That is the information that was given to him in the villa. Has he spoken to Joe Ajaero and senior labour leaders in the country to have their opinion?
“Maybe the information he (Oshiomhole) got from the villa was that he (Ajaero) went there to play politics.
“But I will tell him clearly that was not the case,” he said.
Meanwhile the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has confirmed the arrest of suspected political thugs that brutalized Ajaero.
Following the commencement of the November 14 strike, which has relatively crippled economic activities in some parts of the country, Ribadu on Wednesday, in a statement signed by the Head of Strategic Communications in the Office of the NSA, Zakari Mijinyawa, urged the Unions to halt the nationwide strike.
While confirming that some arrests had been made, he pledged that the outcome of the investigation would be made known to the general public.
The statement reads partly, “The NSA is particularly worried about the implications of the strike action on the livelihood of ordinary Nigerians and its potential impact on economic security and other strategic national interests.
“The NSA regrets the incident and condemns it in its entirety as it was against the rule of law and the principles of freedom of association and expression subscribed to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration.
“The Federal Government will never condone such an act.
“As a fallout of the incident, relevant authorities were directed to conduct thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the assault and bring to book the culprits.
“Available update indicates that some arrests have already been made in this regard. The outcome of the investigation will be made public as soon as it is concluded.”
