There is palpable tension among workers in Edo State as state lawmakers and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) disagree over the planned inauguration of a caretaker committee on Thursday to oversee the affairs of the union in the state pending fresh election.
The State House of Assembly at plenary on Wednesday, accused the national President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, of imposing a leadership on the state chapter of the union which it said is capable of breaching the peace and order in the state.
The assembly therefore, called on the leadership of the union to work with Bernard Eguakhide who it said workers in the state were comfortable with, accusing the national leadership of NLC of working with the former chairman, Odion Olaye, who they accused of being partisan in the last governorship election where he was quoted to have publicly said that if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not win that election, the state would burn.
The house in a resolution called on Ajaero to shelve the proposed leadership change of the NLC Executive in the state.
The resolution was sequel to a motion raised by the Majority leader, Jonathan Ibhamawu, who said there is a harmonious labour force devoid of strife under the leadership of Bernard Eguakhide and that the action of Ajaero can cause breach of peace in the state.
Other lawmakers supported the motion stating that the proposed leadership change of the present Edo State executive of NLC should be put on hold in the interest of peace and harmony.
National leadership of the NLC had last week dissolved the Edo executive and announced a caretaker committee which is to be inaugurated today (Thursday).
A statement by the NLC signed by its Acting National Secretary, Benson Upah, said the Edo State Government was trying to frustrate its efforts to inaugurate the caretaker committee as keys to the NLC Edo secretariat have not been released to its team.
He explained the union decided to set up a caretaker committee after its meeting with the state governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, who made it clear he would work with Olaye as chairman of the NLC in the state and its decision was in line with labour law and global practices.
“The circumstances leading to the dissolution of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress have been very much in the open. They were preceded by efforts by a joint committee comprising leading lights from the Congress and the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment; Dr. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi.
“With the inauguration of the caretaker committee scheduled for Thursday, August, 28, 2025 in Benin City to which the government was invited, the key to the NLC Secretariat in Benin City has not only been seized by government, threats have been issued to members of the caretaker committee and those assigned by Congress to inaugurate them.”
Adibe Emenyonu
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