FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has ordered the immediate dissolution of the Edo State Administrative Council of the union and the freezing of its accounts.
It would be recalled that the national leadership of NLC had recently dissolved the Edo State council of the union and appointed the Benin Zonal Coordinator of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Professor Lewis Igbafen as the caretaker committee chairman.
A letter by the Acting General Secretary of NLC, Mr Benson Upah, dated August 15 and addressed to all the managers of one of the old generation banks, said consequent upon the dissolution, all accounts operated by or on behalf of the NLC, Edo State Council are hereby frozen with immediate effect.
In a statement in Benin City, the State Administrative Council, SAC, and State Executive Council, SEC, Edo NLC branch, however, advised the general public to disregard the five-man caretaker committee constituted by the President, Comrade Joe Ajaero and the former Edo NLC Chairman, Odion Olaye.
According to the statement, “We do not only reject the committee purportedly set up by Ajero and Olaye, we also view the caretaker committee as an attempt to undermine the state’s stability and carry out Olaye’s earlier threat of “burning down Edo State”.
“Comrade Ajaero’s personal move to impose this connived contraption has further sparked controversies. We wish to, on behalf of Edo workers, use this medium to warn and advice the duo to retrace their steps and leave Edo workers alone as we have been enjoying peaceful and friendly labour relations and working relations since Olaye was removed by majority members of the affiliate unions and replaced with the Comrade Bernard Joman-led executives.”
A letter by the Acting General Secretary of NLC, Mr Benson Upah, dated August 15 and addressed to all the managers of one of the old generation banks, said consequent upon the dissolution, all accounts operated by or on behalf of the NLC, Edo State Council are hereby frozen with immediate effect.
Upah warned that any bank or financial institution that disregards this directive and transacts with unauthorised persons or entities does so at its own risk and shall be held liable for any resulting financial or legal consequences.
He wrote: “It is therefore important that you cease and desist from honoring any financial transactions, withdrawals or instructions purporting to originate from the dissolved NLC, Edo State Council or its erstwhile officials.
“You recognise only directives duly issued by the NLC National Headquarters regarding any operations on NLC, Edo State accounts until further notice.”
The acting scribe defended the action, noting that the directive was issued in line with NLC’s constitution and extant labour laws, and compliance is mandatory.
