JUST IN: Labour Threatens Action If Rivers Emergency Rule Is Not Reversed

The state of emergency in Rivers State has been dubbed as the “state of emergency,” and the organized labor warns that if it is not reversed within a reasonable time frame, it may be forced to take decisive measures that could endanger the country’s economic activity.

The Rivers State Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Alex Agwanwor (State Chairperson, NLC), Sir Comrade Ikechukwu Onyefuru (State Chairperson, TUC), and Comrade Chuku Emecheta (State Chairperson, JNC), all signed a statement.

The federal government’s actions raised questions about their legality, economic impact, and consequences.

The elected governor, deputy governor, and members of the House of Assembly were suspended, according to the Organized Labour, as premature and unjustifiable.

The people of Rivers State freely elected these officials, according to the union leaders, and any attempt to remove them outside of constitutional processes is a crime.

They urged that such actions be reversed in order to preserve Nigeria’s democratic system’s integrity.

They made a point of highlighting the immediate hardship local government employees, many of whom have not yet received their salaries, face.

The statement stated that, in a time when living expenses are already high, keeping workers’ wages has exposed them to avoidable economic suffering.

The Niger Delta region and Rivers State’s strategic significance, which the organized labor emphasized, could lead to devastating economic effects from the state of emergency.

Further instability in Rivers State, according to the report, could worsen the situation nationwide as inflation, the naira devaluation, high exchange rates, rising unemployment, and skyrocketing living costs are already a part of the country.

The state’s economic initiative’s potential investors have been turned away by the state’s political uncertainty, according to the statement.

According to labor leaders, this lack of investment has long-term effects on the region’s employment opportunities and internal revenue (IGR) and will have a negative impact on economic growth.

The Organized Labour stressed that such actions must be carried out within the terms of the Nigerian Constitution while also acknowledging the necessity of upholding law and order.

The unions claimed that imposing constitutional restrictions on elected officials and allegedly preventing workers from receiving pay could harm security and economic issues.

They urged the federal government to prioritize the safety and welfare of citizens over political objectives, noting that any political maneuvers and tensions would only increase with each new government plan.

The president, the National Assembly, and the judiciary were instructed to immediately declare a state of emergency and reinstate the elected officials who had been suspended.

The unions advised the federal government to engage in meaningful dialogue with relevant stakeholders in an effort to resolve the conflict peacefully.

They cautioned against failing to do so, which could only worsen the state’s already tense political climate.

The Organized Labour leaders warned that if their demands weren’t satisfied in a respectable amount of time, they would not hesitate to take strategic union actions if they were not able to meet them.

Source: Channels TV