Following a political crisis that pitched two factions against each which affected council’s activities in Edo State, the National leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC was forced to dissolve the existing structure and set up a caretaker committee to resolve the crisis and pave the way for elections in the state council.
The Composition of the Caretaker Committee was drawn from affiliate unions including the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria who submitted the name of its representative in Edo State Comrade Mike Ochei who had freely accepted and was sworn in to serve on the Professor Monday Igbafen led Caretaker Committee.
Having worked with the committee for some time, the representative of the textile union however turned back to make a purported claim of being coerced into committee, an allegation the Leadership of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria viewed as a calculated attempt to tarnish her image.
At a press briefing in Kaduna to debunk the purported claim, General Secretary of the union, Comrade Ali Baba confirmed that having learnt of Comrade Ochei’s resignation without recourse to the National body, the Union’s National Administrative Council resolved that Edo State Executive Committee of the textile union be placed on suspension for forced claims and assault targeted at a national official and journalists.
The General Secretary was emphatic in his submission that the leadership of the textile union was neither consulted nor carried along by Comrade Mike Ochei before his resignation from the Edo State NLC Caretaker Committee.
Describing the resignation as a unilateral action, the labour leader regretted that the action of Comrade Mike Ochei was contrary to democratic traditions, collective spirit and organizational discipline that guide National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria.
Comrade Ali Baba submitted that the Deputy General Secretary was promptly sent to Benin City to tender the union’s apology to the state Caretaker Committee in Edo State and reaffirm textile union’s loyalty to the National body of the NLC.
“As a union we tender our unreserved apology to the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress NLC. We remain firmly loyal to and supportive of the leadership of the NLC under Comrade Joe Ajaero. We equally reaffirm our full support for the Edo State Caretaker of the NLC duly constituted by the National Secretariat of the NLC”.
He stressed that the Caretaker Committee remains the legitimate organ mandated to reposition and strengthen the NLC in Edo State and therefore urged all affiliate unions and comrades including members of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria in Edo State to support the Professor Monday Igbafen led caretaker committee.
Comrade Ali Baba maintained that as an affiliate of the NLC, they were committed to the unity and progress of the Nigeria Labour congress, insisting that they would continue to work with the National Leadership and all State Councils to defend the rights of workers, advance decent work and promote the welfare of the working class in Nigeria.
Terfa Awuhe
