Translate

Monday, November 12, 2012

NLC threatens strike over flogging of Sokoto PHCN staff

By Victor Ahiuma-Young
ABUJA—NIGERIA Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday, threatened to shut down all economic and commercial activities in Sokoto State should Governor Aliyu Wamakko refuse to apologise for allegedly flogging an officer of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, to a comma in public.
In a statement by NLC’s President, Mr. Abdulwaheed Omar, the congress argued that the action of the governor was unacceptable in any decent society, uncivilised and an undemocratic behaviour least expected of anyone elected to serve the interests of the entire citizens of the state.
NLC said the action of the governor was a violation of the fundamental human rights of the PHCN worker and also exposed the limit of the governor’s exposure to democratic ideals.
It called on Sokoto State House of Assembly to take urgent steps to save the citizens from suffering the consequences of the governor’s action.
It read in part: “Since the governor has opted to ignore the union’s modest request for apology and consequently put the whole state in total blackout, it is clear that his intentions were not just to violate the rights of the PHCN worker but also to inflict deeper hardships on the citizenry.
“By any standards, what the governor did was not just barbaric, irresponsible but coming from a man of his political standing, it also sends a disturbing signal to ordinary citizens who may decide to follow the governor’s example by opting for jungle justice rather than follow legal and constitutional procedures.
“A governor should behave differently from a tout. A street fighter is not fit enough for any public office in a decent country.
“We will invoke our collective slogan of An Injury to One is an Injury to All.
“Congress is, therefore, putting every worker in both the public and private sectors in Sokoto State on notice by directing all unions to commence mobilisation towards a solidarity action by the entire workers of the state against this barbaric act by the governor, if he does not accede to the demand of the union to apologise.”
culled: vanguard

No comments: