By Gom Mirian
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has queried the choice of venue for the 2023 May Day celebration forced on Imo State workers by Governor Hope Uzodima.
While the NLC said the event will be held at the State Secretariat of NLC in Owerri, the state capital, the governor on the other hand said he has chosen a venue alleged to be under his clone of NLC and TUC with a threat to punish those who refuse to attend.
The President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, in a statement made available to AHR on Sunday night, said the government should understand that attendance at May Day is not by force as workers are free to celebrate it the way they choose.
Ajaero who urged the federal government to call this ‘budding dictator in Imo state to order to avoid a conflagration’, advised workers in the state to ignore ‘this Nicodemus Circular that was hurriedly issued on a Sunday and proceed to the State Secretariat of NLC in Owerri where workers are gathering to observe the May Day as originally planned.
“The government cannot dictate to workers on this. This action has truly demonstrated to everybody the depth of the contempt with which the State holds its workers and citizens.
“It has shown that the government believes that workers are slaves owned by the government to treat anyhow it likes.
“We want the federal government to call this budding dictator in Imo state in order to avoid a conflagration.
“We cannot fold our hands and watch him seek to decimate sane industrial relations traditions and standards in the state. This height of madness should not be allowed to exist in a sane society to avoid the creation of a State of anomie. We are a country governed by Laws and those who cannot play by the rule book must be resisted.
“The NLC reiterates that our May Day celebration this year in Imo state will begin with an assembly at the State Secretariat of the NLC from where the workers will proceed on a peaceful rally around the state capital as it decides. All workers are free to attend and participate. It is our Day; nobody can take it away from us”.
