Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
The pronouncement by some members of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Ekiti State that the Ade Adesanmi –led State Executive of the union has been dissolved has sparked serious crisis in the state chapter of the trade union.
The present efforts by these aggrieved members, led by Adesanmi’s predecessor, Ayodeji Ajayi to get the executive dissolved abruptly were not be unconnected with the change of leadership in the state.
The incumbent Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi took over from former Governor Ayodele Fayose on Tuesday and the aggrieved NLC leaders had the impression that the present Exco were incurably loyal to the immediate past government.
To this end, the anti-Adesanmi forces had on Wednesday announced that the state executive had been dissolved and that a caretaker would soon be set up to pilot the affairs of the union.
But a counter statement issued in Ado Ekiti yesterday and signed by Adesanmi, urged the public to discountenance the earlier announcement, saying only the national secretariat of the union has the overriding powers to dissolve the body.
Adesanmi added that the national body of the union had in a letter dated September 10, 2018, signed by its General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson and addressed to the union in Ekiti , affirmed the legality of the current State executive and its powers to operate till 2019 before a change of guard.
The NLC boss described the purported dissolution by these aggrieved members as a negation of the Trade Union Act, saying their actions remain illegal, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
Adesanmi stated that the NLC had in its Congress of August 27, 2018 slammed a 10-year ban on Ayodeji Aluko and his counterpart in Trade Union Congress (TUC), Kolawole Olaiya, and was accepted by national secretariat , adding that this restrain from union participation had impeded them from taking any action on behalf of the unions.
He said: “NLC is a noble profession that is governed by constitution and therefore won’t tolerate continuous illegal activities of these aforementioned individuals.
“We are sitting executive whose tenure run till 2019 and this position has been validated by our national secretariat.
“The national headquarters had in a letter dated September 10, 2018 with reference number NLC/NS/B. 32/225 stated inter alia : ‘That the NLC is governed by constitution and anything done at variance with the provisions of the constitution can’t stand. I therefore, wish to confirm that the only leadership of the NLC known to and recognised by the National Secretariat remains the one led by Ade Adesanmi,” the letter added.
“Adesanmi added : “ Aluko and Olaiya had been banned from participating in union matters for 10 years and ratified at the national secretariat, so they are personal-non-grata and not recognized by any organ of the congress.
“The illegal activities of these unscrupulous elements have been reported to all security agencies and the current labour leaders in Ekiti state cherish peace , but if these political jobbers are not called to order, their subsequent action may be met with force and the outcome would be better imagined”, he warned.
