THE Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has reacted Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State’s declaration of its chairman as wanted over the on-going worker’s strike.
Spokesperson of the NLC Benson Upah told The ICIR that El Rufai was overestimating his powers by declaring the NLC national president, Ayuba Wabba wanted.
Upah said the governor did not have the constitutional powers to declare a person wanted because he was neither the police nor the judiciary.
“El Rufai is supposed to be a lawyer; does he have the power to declare anybody wanted? Is he the police, is he the court? Or what authority does he have? Does his executive power extend to legislative or judiciary power? He has no judicial or legislative power or police,” Upah said.
He noted that the governor was aware of the whereabouts of Wabba and so, he should simply go and arrest him.
As Nigerians continue to react to the declaration, a lawyer, Odinaka Okere also told The ICIR that El Rufai had no such constitutional powers.
“Primarily, it is the job of the police or security agencies to declare anybody wanted. The police can investigate and know who committed a crime and then declare them wanted based on what they did. But it is impossible in law for the governor to declare someone wanted based on organising a strike; workers have a right to go on strike. So, in simple terms, the governor has no such constitutional powers,” he said.
El Rufai declared Wabba and other protesters in the state wanted for ‘economic sabotage.’
According to the Kaduna State government, the industrial actions by the NLC were characterized with unlawful trespass on government facilities, and attempts to prevent officers from signing attendance registers.
The state government also said the protesting union shut down electricity and healthcare access for several citizens by closing several hospitals and chasing away patients.
The NLC on Monday commenced a five-day warning strike in the state over the sack of thousands of workers and the Kaduna State government’s refusal to pay due entitlement to retrenched workers in the state.
