Borno State NLC protest was truncated with security threats and frustrations from uniform policemen who stationed themselves within the vicinity of the labour office as early as 6.03 am and blocked all major roads linking the NLC State Secretariat around 9 am and finally denied the leadership and members of the union to carry out any demonstration or protest.
The State NLC Chairman, Comrade Yusuf Inuwa while addressing members of the labour union and affiliate members as well as the media at the premises of the labour office on Tuesday few minutes after an emergency SEC meeting of the labour union , said,” we are constrained and denied to join the national wide protest. The police commissioner has refused us to carry out any protest “.
“The CP warned us not to even address the media or members of the union in form of rally or demonstrate. We even suggested we should go to NUJ Press Center to organize a press briefing on the protest. The CP still denied us and said that we should give them time to cumb the NUJ.Center of any Explisuves or tendency of Improvised Electronic Devices (IEDs) first before he may allow us to hold the press briefing at NUJ Press Center.
“Even the AIG Zone 15 AIG Abdu Umar call me about the NLC protest and insisted we should step.away from the protest whether in solidarity or not in the basis that Borno is a peculiar state with security issues and still battling with it. As the law enforcement agents will not allow a situation where the jobless youths or miscreants would take advantage of the protest at the slightest opportunity to cause havoc,” Yusuf said
He argued that it was quite unfortunate that an organized people and union were denied access and privilege to organize rally or protest, pointing out that, as law abiding citizens and obedient Nigerians they however continue to express their bitterness and anger with the manner government has been handling and managing the nations .resources at the expense of the poor masses of this country.
Comrade Yusuf however appealed members and affiliates to exercise restrain and ce.bavk tomorrow Thursday for the second day protest while appreciating them for their turned out and solidarity in support of the national secretariat and urged the media for objective coverage of the labour union activity on the protest by carrying their messages across
It will recalled that uniform men from Borno state police command were seen drafted to the venue a d all streets linking the NLC Office.as
Borno CP Mohammed Lawan led the team of security men deployed to the NLC office and coordinated instinctively that no any member of the union should be allowed to carry out any rally or demonstration outside the labour office premises and beyond to the Lagos street highway.
According to the NLC Chairman after their State Executive Council meeting on Monday in the nation wide protest and directive from the NLC national secretariat for all state branches to join the protest, for two days, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Comrade Yusuf said he was contacted by top security heads and some highly placed citizens of the state and urged to stay away from the protest or not to carry or allow his members to join the protest.
He said they attributed their plead to intelligent reports at the disposal of the security agents from Boko Haram insurgency and recent threats by IDPs to return to the bush as a result of the economic hardships and sufferings at their camps as well as the hoodlums who are set to join any protest to loot and destroy properties
Some were stationed at the gate and adjoining streets to stopped the protesters while police veggies were alo positioned at strategic points while some blocked all the major roads to and from the NLC office
The NLC State Chairman noted that all persuasions to allow the labour union to hold it’s really within the premises of the labour union where the Borno CP truncated all suggestions and plead for us to hold our rally within the secretariat a d demonstrate outside the office and work out for fw kilometers along the major road to a shirt distance.
He however called on the media to bear witness to all the threats , frustrations and denial from security agents for the labour union not to hold it’s protest on Tuesday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital despite the show of solidarity and support from members and affiliates.