Former National Secretary of Labour Party, Dr. Kayode Ajulo has
called for the sack of Labour and Employment Minister, Dr. Chris
Ngige for alleged humiliation of labour leaders and causing a
national embarrassment which put Nigeria in bad light.
This is as Ngige on Friday visited the National Hospital Abuja
to sympathise with those that allegedly sustained injuries during
picketing by organised labour at his private residence in Asokoro,
Abuja.
This is as the Chief Medical Director, CMD, of the hospital has
debunked the report that two of the union members allegedly
attacked by thugs at the minister’s residence were admitted at the
intensive care unit, saying that nobody was admitted at the unit. A
planned protest session by members of the Nigeria Labour Congress
(NLC) against Ngige for failure to inaugurate the board of National
Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) with Comrade (Chief) Frank
Kokori as the Chairman turned into a fracas, as armed thugs
allegedly sponsored by the minister disrupted the protest.
The defenceless workers were shot at, while some of them who
sustained injuries were taken to the National Hospital in Abuja for
treatment.
Ajulo said, “It is not new anywhere in the world that workers
are known for picketing, which is a form of protest in which they
congregate to draw public attention to a cause. From all
indications, the Abuja protesters were non-violent, with the sole
aim to put pressure on the minister to make Chief Kokori as the
NSITF Chairman and in this instance, no law was violated.”
“With my practice in law for almost two decades I can
conveniently say that Nigeria and her people are governed by laws
one of which does not condone assault or banditry.
It is worrisome to see a former governor of a State, former
Senator and a serving Federal Minister to influence some youths to
cause bodily harm on some high profile protesters like the
President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, President of NUPENG, Comrade
Williams Akporeha, others, who are guided by law.”
The Abuja-based lawyer and rights activist described the
incident as utterly barbaric, callous and inhuman; where maximum
force and live bullets were used on workers. Meanwhile workers went
with bare hands.
Calling on the Inspector General of Police to immediately
investigate the supposed act of the Minister of Labour and
Employment against a civil population, Ajulo also urged President
Muhammadu Buhari to relieve Ngige of his job as a Minister for
desecrating the good image of his government through this
unfortunate conduct.
Ajulo urged the affected workers especially NUPENG to embark on
nationwide industrial action in order to in order to avert repeat
of such action in future. He said if they allow this open assault
to pass and lead to a situation where the labour movement will no
longer have rights to protect their interest or call the government
to order when necessary.
Describing Chief Kokori as a man that parades sterling
credentials, Ajulo said Kokori should be remembered and celebrated
at a time like this because of his role in the struggle for
democracy that we all enjoy today, which made the International
Labour Organisation (ILO), Amnesty International (AI) and labour
federations across the globe declare him prisoner of conscience
between August 1994 and June 1998.
He recalled that Kokori was in solitary confinement for four
consecutive years in the infamous Bama Prison. “He was just dumped
there with no charges preferred against him by the regime of Gen.
Sani Abacha.”
At the national Hospital, the Chief Medical Director, CMD,
debunked the report that two of the union members allegedly
attacked by thugs at the Minister’s residence were admitted at the
intensive care unit, saying that nobody was admitted at the
unit.
Speaking to journalists at the Trauma Center of the hospital,
the Minister said, “We finished a function in the Villa now.
Because I heard in the media that some members of the NLC who came
to an early morning picketing in my house were manhandled and
injured and I saw photographs of people who were said to be on
admission and even somebody on life support.
“So I felt that it was incumbent on me to come over here and
sympathise with those people and know progress they are making in
terms of their well-being, that’s why I am here. But my first pot
of call was to meet with the Chief Medical Director who now
accompanied me to see them. “I met the Chief Medical Director he
said he wanted to get his records straight from the Trauma Centre.
That’s what brought us here.”
The CMD, Dr. Momoh said that one persons were attended to and
seven were discharged while two were kept overnight, adding that
the two left within 24 hours they were brought to the hospital.
According to him,” On the morning of 8th May at about 10:50am
which is this last Wednesday, nine people were brought here by
group of other people who told us the medical team on ground that
they had been assaulted.
“Nine of them were seen by our medical team and attended to
including doing chaste x-ray and some other investigations that
were necessary. Seven of them did not require any further treatment
or need for administration, two were admitted overnight and
discharged the following morning home,” he said.
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