We suspended strike because of trust in Ribadu – Labour

The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress have suspended their strike, begun on Tuesday night.

The labour leaders had earlier on Wednesday met with the NSA who announced the arrest of two suspected involved in the attack in Owerri, Imo State on November 1.

The NSA revealed this during a meeting with labour leaders in Abuja on Wednesday- the second day of the strike.

He also apologised to the organised labour over the attack on the NLC president.

Tommy Etim, the national deputy president of TUC, said they took the decision because of their trust for the NSA.

He said, “The NECs of the NLC and the TUC have suspended the strike. We did this based on our trust in the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu who gave us his word. We also saw that he wasn’t playing politics with our demands and he was ready and promised to follow up with everything.”

“It is a temporary suspension. We are going to give them some time after which we will meet and if they fail to meet up, the strike resumes.

“We listened to the NSA and he listened to us. He noted that Ajaero didn’t do anything wrong by going to Imo State. We must commend the NSA and it is because of him that there is a suspension of the strike.”

Labour declared the strike as a response to the attack on NLC president, Joe Ajaero, in Imo State. Labour leaders said they halted the strike ‘temporarily’ after the National Security Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, Nuhu Ribadu, intervened.

The labour leaders met with Ribadu on Wednesday night. Earlier on Wednesday, the NSA issued a statement, urging labour to rescind its decision.

Ribadu, in the release, revealed that two suspected attackers of Ajaero were arrested. He assured the leaders he would monitor the police probe of the incident.