…Call for his arrest.
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Arewa youths, under the guise of ‘Arewa Youth Assembly’ (AYA), have called for the arrest of the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, over alleged plans to scuttle the inauguration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President.
The youths also accused him of working with IPOB with an intention to actualize the Presidential ambition of Labour Party’s (LP) Peter Obi.
Ali Muhammad, spokesperson of the Arewa Youth Assembly, made the allegations during a press conference at the Arewa House in Kaduna on Thursday.
Described as “state of the nation briefing,” AYA stated that “We have taken our stand to always add our voice on burning issues of national interest, and we can’t allow anyone to want to use his personal interest to cause havoc in our nation.
“Notable security agencies have been petitioned to effect the immediate arrest of the President of NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, over his alleged plot to scuttle the inauguration of President-elect, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” it stated.
It was further alleged that Ajaero is working with the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to actualise the presidential bid of Mr. Peter Obi of Labour Patty and not Tinubu, who was declared winner of the election.
In a strong-worded petition to the Inspector-General of Police and the Director of Department of State Services, the body also accused Ajaero of using the Nigeria Labour Congress as a platform “to achieve his Biafran agenda.”
“We also accused him of corruption, alleging that himself and his Secretary-General received one bullet-proof SUV car each, worth N1 billion to sabotage the planned workers strike against the cashless policy of the apex Bank.
“We regretted that this is the first time in the history of NLC that two people from one ethnic group are occupying the office of President (Joe Ajaero from Imo State, and Secretary-General, Emmanuel Ugboaja from Abia) at the same time; hence it is easy for them to prosecute the Biafran agenda.
“In the petition, we have drawn the attention of the security agencies to open threats by Ajaero to scuttle the inauguration of President-elect, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Another important issue is that, apart from threatening the judges handling the election petition tribunal, Ajaero has gone ahead to sabotage institutions of state in the name of strikes.
“Ajaero showed his ethnic card by inviting Peter Obi to the last May Day celebration in Abuja without extending same to the leadership of other political parties and even the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who is the No.1 laborer of the nation.
“We regretted that Ajaero is using the Igbo-dominated NLC to sabotage the economy of the country in the guise of strikes.
“The disruption of flights to Imo State on Wednesday where an airline reportedly lost N700m is only a rehearsal of what Ajaero and IPOB plan to do to Nigeria’s economy ahead of Tinubu’s inauguration.
“The invasion of Lagos and Imo airports by IPOB fundamentalists masquerading as ‘NLC’ is only but the beginning of what Ajaero is hatching to stop Tinubu from taking oath of office on May 29. He has assumed the position of the judges in the case and that is a dangerous precedent,” AYA stated.
They, therefore, called on security agencies to immediately arrest Ajaero and his co-conspirators before they plunge the nation into avoidable national crisis.
