The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have jointly urged Inspector General of Police Olukayode Egbetokun to immediately withdraw police personnel from the 23 local government council secretariats in Rivers State.
This call follows an emergency meeting in Port Harcourt, where the unions expressed dissatisfaction with the police directive to maintain presence at the secretariats pending a court ruling on the local government issue.
In a joint statement by State NLC Chairman Alex Agwanwor and TUC counterpart Ikechukwu Onyefuru, the unions criticized the prolonged denial of access to council offices, resulting in significant loss of work hours for employees.
They also voiced support for the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees’ four-day ultimatum to the police to vacate the councils, threatening worker mobilization for protests if necessary.
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The statement commended the police for maintaining law and order during recent political tensions but strongly objected to the closure of council secretariats, labeling it an obstruction to statutory duties. It highlighted the irrecoverable loss of productivity and the societal impact of preventing workers from fulfilling their roles.
Furthermore, both the NLC and TUC councils called on the Inspector General of Police to direct the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to allow legitimate council workers access to their offices without delay.
They reiterated their solidarity with NULGE’s ultimatum and denounced calls for a state of emergency by certain political figures, criticizing them as self-serving and against the interests of Rivers State residents.
The situation arose from a crisis over the tenure of local government chairpersons in Rivers State, which tragically led to the loss of lives. The police cited the need to prevent further violence as justification for securing the council premises.
