COVID-19 : Rivers State Acted Beyond its Powers by Incarcerating Pilots, Workers- ULC
The Organised Labour has said that Rivers State Government clearly acted beyond its Powers, in arresting and putting into jail the Pilots and oil workers who were engaging in legitimate duties.
According to a statement signed by the President, United Labour Congress, ULC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the nation’s airspace is in the exclusive list of constitution and can only be controlled by the federal government.
Ajaero said the workers arrested in the place of work makes makes it an industrial relations matter and labour matters are also in the exclusive List under the purview of the federal government.
“What these foregoing portends is that the state government may have acted without due caution thus allowing itself to be misled into jumping into territories that are clearly not theirs.
“When we look at this within the context of the COVID-19 national strategy, it is clear that these workers were not in any way endangering the fight but were risking their lives in maintaining skeletal services throughout the nation so that most of us can comfortably stay at home in observance of the Lockdown. ” Instead of detracting from the battle, the workers were contributing positively to a successful outcome in the combating the pandemic therefore, deserves the commendation of all and especially the Rivers state government instead of imprisonment”, he said.
The ULC President said the congress demands the immediate and unconditional release of these Workers and the Pilots, adding that this will go a long way in showing Nigerians that the state is not pursuing other agenda and is not anti- workers.
He said the Government must do so, given the fact that the Rivers State Secretariat of a sister labour centre has been under lock and key by the state government for the last few months without proper explanation.
The Congress according to Ajaero demands release of the Pilots and workers who are members of United labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC).
“The Governor must personally demonstrate that he is not anti-labour and did not approve the actions of his agents.
“He must show courage by correcting the anomaly unless he is telling Nigerians that it would be better that the Hospitals do not operate, the Filling stations do not operate, the tanker Drivers do not transport products, and our generators do not run, our Aircrafts and Airports do not operate and of Course, that Electricity to our homes are not supplied since refusal to release them criminalises the provision of these services by Nigerian workers across the nation”, he said.
The ULC President said electricity, Oil and Gas workers and aviation workers to mention but a few are some of ULC members on essential services within the COVID-19 engagement framework as declared by the federal government.
He said: “Unless the Government of Rivers is claiming superiority over the National government directive on this, we urge respect for these categories of workers. They must be allowed to discharge their duties unfettered and this is not a very difficult thing to demand of Rivers state government and indeed other governments that may be thinking of doing the same.
” We are surprised at the silence of the federal government on this matter though some half-hearted comments have come out urging the state government to release the workers. Perhaps, the federal government is afraid or something else.
“Our actions will no longer be announced. It will be sudden and it will be compelling if nothing is immediately done by those concerned. We cannot be working while they sleep and they turn around to punish us. That is unacceptable.
” If these harassment and intimidation continues. We will be left with no option than to withdraw our members from their duty posts pending when their lives, rights and freedom are guaranteed by the various governments. This we shall do without recourse to any process as it impinges on the lives of these workers and will amount to negligence if we allow them to continue being exposed to abuse and violations as they go about serving the nation and rendering services so that we can successfully defeat COVID-19 Pandemic.
“If our demand is not immediately heeded, we want to put the state government on notice that we shall not accept the hiding of any one under the cover of the COVID-19 to abridge the rights of citizens as such, we shall embark on actions that will shut down Rivers state now and after the Lockdown under the code name ‘’PINDOWN RIVERS’’
“The People of Rivers state should hold their government responsible for any consequences that may arise out of our effort to protect the rights and liberties of fellow Nigerian workers as a result of the government’s refusal to heed the laws of the federation and its insistence on trampling on fundamental rights of workers”, the statement said.
