The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, says the labour movement is worth dying for.
Ajaero stated this on Thursday after answering a Police invitation over terrorism financing allegations levelled against him.
The NLC President also said he would not be distracted in his quest to ensure that workers’ welfare was paramount.
Sequel to this, one of the lawyers who followed him to the Police headquarters for interrogation, Maxwell Opara, said that the NLC will not relent as the Police may come up with another allegation.
The NLC President honoured the Police invitation in the company of lawyers representing the Congress, led by the human rights activist, Chief Femi Falana, SAN, in the company of Maxwell Opara, Deji Adeyanju.
Before then, Falana had told different unions that assembled at the Labour House in solidarity with Ajaero to stay back, assuring them that there was no cause for alarm.
Recall that Ajaero, who was invited by the police to address allegations of terrorism financing, cybercrime, subversion, criminal conspiracy, and treasonable felony, arrived at the IRT office at 10:17 a.m. and left shortly after 11:15 a.m.
While speaking to newsmen at the Labour House after leaving the Police headquarters, Ajaero said that the NLC remained committed to defending the rights of Nigerian workers and would not be cowed by any form of intimidation.
“Comrades, the labour movement is worth dying for because of its patriotism and commitment.
“The labour movement is one of the biggest pan-Nigerian organisations our patriotism from the days of colonial government till even the period of the military is unshakable.
“We are more patriotic than any other institution you can think of in this country and we are going to continue to be that.
“We have gone there and we are back and I just want to confirm to you that as a citizen I have gone there and we are back here. And. you can’t do this job we are doing without this type of hazard, it is expected.
“This is the highlight of the job. Even at the unit level some of us experience this. As far back as 1997, 1998 I was telling Falana, we were equally together in the cell enjoying ourselves during the time of Abacha,” he said.
Police invitation: I don’t mind dying for labour movement – Ajaero