During the ongoing Ministerial Retreat for the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, the Minister, clarified that the Ministry was not involved in the reported arrest of Joe Ajeroh, the National President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), by security agents.
Keyamo addressed the actions of the labor unions at the airport, stating that aviation was not their target and urging them to leave the aviation sector alone.
Keyamo expressed concern over the impact of the protests on foreigners entering the country and citizens going about their daily activities. He highlighted how the protesters disrupted aviation activities by blocking the access road to Abuja International Airport. Keyamo, who claimed to have expertise in legal, civil society, and labor matters, urged the labor unions to prevent the Labor Party and politics from destroying the Labor Movement.
The Minister criticized the protesters, referring to them as “hirelings” of the Labor Party and emphasizing that their actions were detrimental to the image of the Labor Movement. He urged the labor unions not to involve themselves too deeply in politics and assured that the Aviation Ministry had mobilized security agencies to disperse the protesters from the airport.
Keyamo condemned the alleged arrest of Joe Ajeroh and emphasized that nobody should be subjected to physical violence. However, he cautioned against the labor unions indulging in politics, stating that they should be prepared for the consequences if they engage in such activities.
Earlier in the day, leaders of the labor unions, including the NLC and TUC, staged a protest at Abuja International Airport.
