The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has stated that “no governor has the power to ban” labour unions, emphasizing that union activities fall under the “exclusive legislative list” in the Nigerian Constitution. His statement came in response to the proscription of labour unions in state-owned tertiary institutions by former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
Speaking at a town hall meeting with workers at the NLC Secretariat in Lokoja, Ajaero expressed concern over the trend of state governors “living permanently in Abuja” instead of addressing governance issues in their states. He lamented that workers were struggling with economic hardship and criticized government plans to increase tariffs, saying it was “pushing workers too far.”
During the visit, Ajaero inaugurated 10 Compressed Natural Gas buses to support transportation for workers in Kogi. He also acknowledged complaints from workers, including the “non-implementation of annual salary increase,” a shortage of teachers in schools, and a lack of housing provisions. He assured them that their grievances would be conveyed to the state government, adding that the NLC leadership was in Kogi for a “homecoming” to assess if labour-friendly policies were being implemented.
Workers also revealed that for over a decade, unions in Kogi State Polytechnic, Kogi State University, and other institutions had been under proscription. Ajaero reiterated that the state had no authority to ban unions, stating, “you don’t ban what you don’t have control over.” He urged governors to be present in their states, engage with workers, and provide the “dividends of democracy” to the people.
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