By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) protest in Borno State has been truncated with security threats from uniform policemen, who stationed themselves within the vicinity of the labour office as early as 6.03 am and blocked all major roads linking the NLC State Secretariat around and finally denied the leadership and members of the union to carry out any demonstration or protest.
Police operatives blocked all major roads linking the NLC State Secretariat, Maiduguri
The State NLC Chairman, Comrade Yusuf Inuwa while addressing members of the labour union and affiliate members as well as the media at the premises of the labour office on Tuesday few minutes after an emergency SEC meeting of the labour union said:
Borno State NLC Chairman, Comrade Yusuf Inuwa addressing members and the press in Maiduguri
“We are constrained and denied to join the national wide protest. The police commissioner has refused us to carry out any protest “.
“The CP warned us not to even address the media or members of the union in form of rally or demonstrate. We even suggested we should go to NUJ Press Center to organize a press briefing on the protest. The CP still denied us and said that we should give them time to comb the NUJ.Center of any Explosives or tendency of Improvised Electronic Devices (IEDs) first before he may allow us to hold the press briefing at NUJ Press Center.
“Even the AIG Zone 15, AIG Abdu Umar call me about the NLC protest and insisted we should step.away from the protest whether in solidarity or not in the basis that Borno is a peculiar state with security issues and still battling with it. As the law enforcement agents will not allow a situation where the jobless youths or miscreants would take advantage of the protest at the slightest opportunity to cause havoc,” Yusuf said.
Police operatives blocked all major roads linking the NLC State Secretariat, Maiduguri
He argued that it was quite unfortunate that an organized people and union were denied access and privilege to organize rally or protest, pointing out that, as law abiding citizens and obedient Nigerians they however continue to express their bitterness and anger with the manner government has been handling and managing the nation’s resources at the expense of the poor masses of this country.
Comrade Yusuf, however, appealed to members and affiliates to exercise restrain and assembly on tomorrow Wednesday for the second day protest, while appreciating them for their turned out and solidarity in support of the national secretariat and urged the media for objective coverage of the labour union activity on the protest.
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