The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Rivers State have suspended their planned protest against the ongoing police blockade of local government area secretariats.
The chairmen of the labour centers stated that the suspension was due to reports of potential violence by individuals posing as labour members.
During a joint press briefing in Port Harcourt on Sunday, NLC Chairman Alex Agwanwor called on the police to arrest anyone protesting under the unions’ name on Monday.
He advised members of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), who had initially proposed the protest, to await further instructions from the labour centers.
NLC Chairman Agwanwor and TUC Chairman Ikechukwu Onyefuru also refuted claims by former Local Government Chairmen that state labour leaders are partisan.
The unions had previously demanded on Friday that the police vacate the local government secretariats they had occupied in the state.
Friday’s meeting addressed three key issues: the formation and inauguration of Caretaker Committees in the 23 Local Government Areas, the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s call for a state of emergency in the state, and the police occupation of council secretariats.
Agwanwor acknowledged the police’s efforts to maintain peace but argued that denying workers access to their offices was a violation of their rights.
He urged Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun to instruct the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to allow workers access to their offices to perform their duties.
The labour groups warned that if their appeal was ignored, they would mobilize their members to reclaim their offices.