By Doris Isreal Ijeoma
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has criticized the Nigeria Police Force for restricting a peaceful protest by non-teaching staff unions in Nigerian universities.
Benson Upah, NLC’s head of information, made the statement on Thursday in Abuja.
The protesting unions include the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU). The police had prevented these unions from proceeding with their planned street protest in Abuja, aimed at addressing their four months of unpaid salaries and other related issues.
The protesters had gathered at the Unity Fountain with plans to march to the ministries of education and labour and employment to submit their letters to the ministers. However, they were restricted to the Unity Fountain.
FCT Commissioner of Police Beneth Igwe had informed the union members that the protest was confined to the Unity Fountain for security reasons.
Upah noted that the peaceful protest by NASU and SSANU was a last resort after all other avenues to secure their salaries had been exhausted, especially since workers from other unions had already been paid for the same strike action.
He argued that the police’s actions breach the 1999 Constitution (as amended), ILO Conventions 87 and 98, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which guarantee freedom of association and speech.
”It is a violation of the Supreme Court ruling that citizens do not need the permit or approval of the police to peacefully protest and an insult to the dignity of self-respecting and law-abiding citizens.
“In light of this, we demand an immediate police apology to NASU and SSANU members whom they violated.
“We also demand the immediate payment of the withheld salaries.
“We had had cause to write to government as well as issued a press statement on this matter in the recent past.
“Government will be courting a major national industrial protest if it continues to ignore our wise counsel,” he said.
