A civil rights group in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has threatened to release numerous audio evidences to the Federal High Court and also to the media where the General Secretary of NUPENG, Afolabi Olawale forcefully and flippantly made some paid staff and other members of the Union to tender their resignation letters against their wishes, over trump up charges in contravention to their fundamental rights.
The group maintained that justice cannot be compromised and should as well be served, noting that no Nigerian worker deserved to be treated like slaves or made to suffer any form of humiliation, intimidation or victimization, especially when a Union which ordinarily should have protected them was the one taking their jobs.
This was contained in a statement signed by one Barrister Iheanyi Kingsley who is the executive director of Right for Human Dignity and Justice (RHDAJ) which he released to the Nigerian and foreign media on Thursday, March 21, 2024.
“My organization has water tight evidence against the General Secretary of NUPENG, Afolabi Olawale, where he eloquently and serially made some anti labour tirades in numerous well captured audio files. He was heard forcing and directing paid staff and members of the Union to tender their resignation letters without recourse to due process. The man was only smart by half. He thought his crime and misdeeds could not be traced. Little did he know that there would be a day of reckoning.
“We have also gone a step further by engaging a forensic expert to help in ascertaining the authenticity of the audio files. Interestingly, all the results proved positive. Afolabi will soon be served the notification of the suit filed against him in court in the coming weeks. With due respect to his office, we urge him to be prepared for the worse. We hope NUPENG, in its own best interest, would accordingly compensate every recipient of its obnoxious and anti labour decisions. We also learned that the Union is known for flouting court orders, we will surely use NUPENG as a good example for other Unions to learn.
Barrister Iheanyi also pledged his commitment to continue working with the labour unions, saying due process would be followed to engender peaceful industrial tranquility and harmony. He also commended the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for providing an office for Nigeria in Geneva, saying this meant more responsibility for the country as the whole of Africa now promoted Nigeria to take charge of West Africa and African region.
“RHDAJ remains committed to working with the Labour unions, but we refuse to form any synergy with any organization that cannot respect and protect workers’ right. It became more worrisome to see a Union like NUPENG that is expected to protect jobs but has been the one sacking workers, intimidating, victimizing, humiliating, and treating workers like slaves.
“There is also evidence of how staff were demoted and frustrated out of the Union by this same General Secretary. Some staff voices were as well recorded and used against them and as a basis for their sack, despite being competent, fit and proper for the jobs, this is unacceptable under the law and I assure the Union that we shall meet in Court and the media too would be carried along for transparency and fair hearing. Justice will be served. All those affected I assure them would be compensated.” Iheanyi said.