Lucky Obukohwo Reporting
The embattled president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has narrated how he was arrested by the police and handed over to thugs who beat him to a pulp and dragged him on the floor while threatening to kill him and dump his body in a river
He gave the account on Friday during a press conference at the NLC headquarters in Abuja, where he was appearing for the first time since his attack in Imo State.
The NLC president, who denied having any political interest in Imo State, said that the demonstration was aimed at getting justice for workers who were owed several months salaries in the state.
“We heard that the workers who arrived at the protest venue as early as 7am were beaten up, their belongings seized and they were chased away.
“So, I arrived there by 9am with about 20 security personnel and was about to address journalists on the situation, when the police and other people in mufti came in and withdrew all the security there.
“They arrested me and handed me over to thugs who dragged me to the ground, hit me with different things and tied my eyes. There were about seven of them.
“They started asking me why I was challenging the Gov. Hope and that I should say my last prayers and they were going to throw me into the Njaba River”, Ajaero said.
The NLC President, who thanked God for his life, noted that the struggle would still have continued if he had died.
He refuted the claim that he has a vested interest in the state politics.
“I am not a card carrying member of any political party in Nigeria, and as a governor, he should be privileged to some classified information to be able to say which political party I belong to.
The NLC President also faulted the silence of the management of TVC and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) over the harassment of two reporters from the former who were covering the protest by the police.
“Why has the NUJ not said a word about the humiliation of journalists? And that is why these things keep happening over and over again.”
Ajaero said he would not be seeking medicare abroad, for the NLC stood against international medical tourism.
The NLC also said its nationwide strike scheduled to commence on Tuesday would go on as planned.
He vowed that the body would\not back out from its industrial action in Imo State until the demands of workers are fulfilled.
General Secretary of the NLC, Emmanuel Ugboaja faulted the Federal Government for its silence on the matter, stating that Tuesday 14 nationwide strike would be held as scheduled.
“From Tuesday, November 14, the Nigerian workers will be withdrawing their services because the president of NLC and his team were used as the point of contact. Hundreds of workers were brutalized, their phones, money and wallets taken. Some were hospitalized,” Ugboaja said.