Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has alleged that sponsored hoodlums disguising as civil servants attacked its headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
It accused one Mr. Emeka Anuna who according it posed as Chairman of the FGN/FCT/NLC/TUC Mass Housing Project Subscribers Association to storm the NLC headquarters with thugs to protest delays in the execution of the N1billion housing project.
A statement signed by the NLC’s Head, Information and Public Affairs, Benson Upah, described the action of sponsors of the attack as, “an attempt to embarrass the President of the Congress and to circumvent the efforts of the leadership of the Congress to pursue justice on behalf of genuine workers who were short-changed by the entrenched incongruities and wickedness in the Nigerian system.”
The NLC added: “It is unfortunate that miscreants posing as workers’ representatives decided to spin a false narrative and present same to the public as true.
“The truth is that the headquarters of the NLC on 18th January 2023, came under heavy attack by hoodlums sponsored and led by one Mr. Emeka Anuna who poses as Chairman of the FGN/FCT/NLC/TUC Mass Housing Project Subscribers Association.”
The statement noted that Wabba was out of the office when he received a call that well-armed thugs and hoodlums had besieged the national headquarters of the NLC and were assaulting Congress staff and other workers in the premises.
It explained that on getting to the office, Wabba noticed that the mob had spilled over to the road adjourning the headquarters of the NLC.
“He decided to disembark from his vehicle to observe what was going on. It was at this point that he saw Mr. Emeka Anuna opening the trunk of his car and collecting placards and distributing money to some hoodlums who were beginning to disperse from the Labour House.
“The President and some staff of the Congress then decided to accost Mr. Emeka Anuna to explain the reason for leading thugs to invade the Labour House.
“Our reason for engaging Mr. Emeka Anuna was because the NLC as an organisation that fights for the interest of workers and the masses believes in the sanctity of protest and would always be willing to engage any peaceful protest but not hoodlums,” it said.
NLC said that it was in possession of video clips of the attack against genuine workers and NLC staff by hoodlums hired by Anuna who it said was not a worker with any known organisation.
The NLC said last Wednesday’s attack on the Labour House was not the first time that Anuna had resorted to self-help and criminal trespassing to achieve his selfish goals.
“He had on several occasions led thugs to besiege the office of the Honourable Minister of the FCT. The FGN/FCT/NLC/TUC/ Mass Housing Project of 2014 is a project that is dear to the heart of NLC and TUC and which has elicited very proactive, progressive, and sustained actions by the leadership of the Congress led by Comrade Ayuba Wabba to ensure timely delivery of the project.”
On the housing project, NLC said that after series of letters and strong representations to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister, Mallam Mohammed Bello, he accepted the demand to visit the project site and assess the state of work.
