…By Michael Ovat -Awka

Anambra State Chapter Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Humphrey Chukwuemeka Nwafor has called for stronger synergy between the workers umbrella body and the police in the task of ensuring the well-being of workers in Nigeria.

Comrade Nwafor disclosed this while speaking to Journalists shortly after a peaceful protest and special prayer session held at the State Police command headquarters Amawbia-Awka, on Thursday.

He explained that the protest and prayer session was in keeping with the directive of the National leadership of the NLC over the invitation of Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC by the Nigeria Police Force Abuja for interrogation over terrorism and other allegations against him.

Nwafor warned against any attempt to detain Comrade Joe Ajaero by the police because of the obvious consequences the action might cause.

The state NLC during the peaceful protest with a placard with an inscription “Ajaero is Not A Terrorist,”said the police and NLC are supposed to be working collaboratively towards the welfare of all Nigerians, including the police.

The labour leaders marched from their Secretariat complex at Regina Celi in Awka capital town to Amawbia police command headquarters in the state.

According to Comrade Nwafor, We are here (police command headquarters) on National directive in solidarity for our National President Comrade Joe Ajaero who was invited by police for questioning on accusations of terrorism, cyber crime and the rest of them. We are here on prayer procession, we marched from our Secretariat from Regina Celia down to this place (police command).”

“We prayed with the commissioner of Police. In all sincerity, police and organized labour, especially, NLC are supposed to be working in unionism because whatever we achieve or whatever struggle we are embarking on is for the good of the common man, good for all. So, police is not supposed to be used as an instrument to destabilize the labour movement in Nigeria. That’s our prayer,” he stated.

The state Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam who was represented by the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations (ACP) Anietie Eyoh said the invitation of the NLC President Comrade Ajaero by the police was not out of place as he is expected to answer questions bordering on all the allegations leveled against him.

He said that ,”Any person that is accused of being involved in any crime or any form of criminality, the police have the right to invite him. And so, if the police invited him it’s for him to go and clarify himself and say it’s not the truth. And inviting him is even an hour by the police, knowing that they know where to find him; they know where he is and they know him as a public figure. And so if there is any allegation against him they invite him to come and clear the grey areas.”

“Even if it were to being Anambra’ state and the chairman in Anambra’ state is seen to have committed, the commissioner of Police will invite him and when they invite him, he has to come and clear his name and say aah CP look at me; I am not a criminal or this is why I committed this crime or not. That’s all.”

CP Itam maintained that invitation of Comrade Ajaero by the Force headquarters in Abuja “is not a crime,” rather it’s for the NLC President to go and clear his name and show that whatever the police said is either true or not.