Protesting NLC members stole salaries in LP secretariat -Abure

The embattled National Chairman of Labour Party, Julius Abure, on Thursday lamented that the party lost property worth millions of naira and some staff salaries to the invasion by protesting members of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

Abure made the claim in a statement issued in Abuja by the National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh.

The ongoing conflict between the NLC and the leadership of LP escalated on Wednesday when members of the union picketed the party’s secretariats across the country.

The move was to press home their demand for Abure’s resignation.

The protesters were spotted laying siege to LP national headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, chanting solidarity songs.

They were however prevented from gaining access into the party secretariat by security operatives posted to the area to maintain order.

But Abure insisted that they broke into the offices where they destroyed property worth millions of naira and also made away with some money meant for staff salaries and other official uses.

He said, “What we saw was a show of shame, a show of rascality, an abuse of office and an abuse of the law of the land. NLC under Joe Ajaero is not above the law and the law precludes Ajaero and the leadership of NLC to take law into their hands.

“Where they besieged the office, broke the fence, destroy the gates, unlawfully took possession of the secretariat and destroyed properties worth millions of naira. Properties stolen including monies meant for the payment of salaries and other official purposes. This is unfortunate. It is becoming unbecoming.

‘I must state today that the leadership of NLC under Joe Ajaero is on the part of destroying the successes we have recorded in the 2023 general election. I had expected that as a responsible trade union centre, a responsible labour leader; he should have teamed up with Labour Party to see how we can team up together to make the country better. Unfortunately and ironically too, the NLC is the one that is on the part of war against Labour Party.

“Over the past few years, NLC has been claiming ownership of Labour Party. l must state clearly that NLC is not the owner of Labour Party. The party is not owned by NLC. The law is very clear that you cannot picket an organisation where you do not have your workers.

“We are not employers of NLC and they don’t have the legitimate reason to picket our office. We have no trade union dispute with NLC. This is clearly an abuse of office and abuse of the laws of the land.

“Let me also state here that the propaganda they have been carrying around that we are planning a secret convention is totally false. The NEC met April 2023 in Asaba and granted the permission that the convention must hold in one year. We started planning for the convention since then. We communicated to INEC as requested by the law. We have also informed all the stakeholders including NLC.

“I have discussed the issue with Ajaero on several occasions. NLC on their own has written to INEC on several occasions on the need to hold the convention. We are surprised that the same NLC is the one that is asking that convention should not hold again. He has ulterior motives and we will not allow him to hijack the party.”