The Presidency has expressed its disapproval of the nationwide strike organized by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), stating that it is not in the national interest.
In a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the government highlighted that the strike action by the unions constitutes a blatant disregard for a court order and a lack of respect for the judiciary.
The government further expressed its dissatisfaction with the fact that the nation’s economy and social activities should not suffer due to the personal interests of any labor leader.
The presidency viewed the decision by the NLC and TUC as an attempt to blackmail the government and considered the strike action as unnecessary and unjustifiable.
“We fail to comprehend why the NLC and TUC have chosen to punish the entire country of over 200 million people over a personal matter involving the NLC President, Mr. Joe Ajaero, whose error of judgment resulted in an assault on him in Owerri while he was planning to incite workers in Imo State into an unnecessary strike,” the statement read.
The government emphasized that the strike action is illegal, immoral, unjustifiable, and irresponsible.
It is worth noting that a court order was issued four days ago, restraining the unions from proceeding with the strike. However, despite the court order, electricity workers complied with the NLC’s directive and shut down the national grid on Monday evening, leading to power outages across the country.
