Edo govt, NLC set for showdown over alleged imposition of leadership

By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – THERE is anxiety among workers in Edo State as the state government and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) may be on a collision course over the plan to inaugurate a caretaker committee on Thursday to oversee the affairs of the union in the state pending a fresh election.

The state House of Assembly at plenary on Tuesday accused the national president of the union, Comrade Joe Ajaero, of imposing a leadership on the state chapter of the NLC which it said is capable of breaching the peace in the state.

The House called on the leadership of the union to work with Comrade Bernard Eguakhide who it said the workers in the state were comfortable with, accusing the national leadership of NLC of working the former chairman, Odion Olaye, who they accused of being partisan in the last governorship election where he was quoted to have publicly said that if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not win that election, the state would burn.

The house in a resolution called on Ajaero to shelve the proposed leadership change of the NLC Exco in the state.

The resolution followed a motion raised by the Majority leader, Hon. Jonathan Ibhamawu, who said there is a harmonious labour force devoid of strife under the leadership of Comrade Bernard Eguakhide and that the action of Joe Ajaero can cause breach of peace in Edo State.

Other lawmakers supported the motion, stating that the proposed leadership change of the present Exco in Edo State should be put on hold in the Interest of peace and harmony.

Last week, the National Leadership of the NLC dissolved the state leadership and announced a caretaker committee which is to be inaugurated on Thursday.

A statement by the NLC signed by its Acting National Secretary, Benson Upah, said the Edo State government was trying to frustrate its efforts to inaugurate the caretaker committee as he said keys to the NLC secretariat have not been released to its team.

He said the union decided to set up a caretaker committee after it met with the state governor who made it clear that he would work with Olaye as chairman of the NLC in the state and that its decision was in line with labour law and global practices.

“The circumstances leading to the dissolution of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress have been very much in the open. They were preceded by efforts by a joint committee comprising leading lights from the Congress and the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment; Dr. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi.

“With the inauguration of the caretaker committee scheduled for Thursday, August, 28, 2025 in Benin City to which the government was invited, the key to the NLC Secretariat in Benin City has not only been seized by government, threats have been issued to members of the caretaker committee and those assigned by Congress to inaugurate them,” the statement read.

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