All is not well with the organised labour in Edo State as two members lay claim to its leadership.
While the parent body of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led by Joe Ajaero, its president, on Thursday morning allegedly clandestinely inaugurated a caretaker committee with university don, Prof. Monday Igbafen as Chairman, Comrade Bernard Joman Egwuaghide, the erstwhile interim Committee Chairman, insisted that he remained the unions’ leader.
‎Newsmata.com.ng reports that though Egwuaghide claimed to have received a letter signed by the national secretary informing the state chapter of a visit by national officials to inaugurate a committee, it turned out that it was the Igbafen committee that was to be inaugurated.
Addressing journalists, a distraught Egwughide, who seemed to enjoy the backing of the state government, lamented that his Exco and other members had waited all day, but representatives of the National leadership of the union reportedly failed to show up for the inauguration scheduled to hold at the State NLC secretariat located at Temboga Road in Benin City.
‎According to him, “From the directive and the letter sent by the National Secretary, it stated that they are coming to inaugurate a committee… We have been here since morning. Other workers have been here.
‎”We have not seen anybody that came into this place to inaugurate any committee. So, we feel that there is nothing that has happened again.
‎”In all, I Comrade Bernard Egwuakhide remain the authentic chairman of Edo NLC.”
‎Egwuakhide explained that he emerged caretaker chairman of the Edo NLC after 43 affiliate unions endorsed him following the sacking of the erstwhile chairman, Comrade Odion Olaye.
‎Accusing the Comrade Ajaero-led National NLC leadership of causing trouble in the Edo State chapter after an attempt to impose a leadership on workers, Egwuakhide said Ajaero flouted the Edo State House Assembly resolution on the state NLC leadership for peace to reign.
The Edo State House of Assembly had, on Tuesday, passed a resolution asking the NLC to shelve its planned inauguration of the Committee and work with Comrade Bernard Joman Egwakhide.
The inauguration of Prof. Igbafen, a member of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) Ambrose Alli University (AAU) chapter, has therefore further polarised the Edo NLC. The Adams Oshiomhole Labour House where the inauguration was scheduled to hold, was under lock and key in an apparent move to stop the inauguration.
It was a game of hide and seek as the labour leaders from the National Secretariat led by Comrade Oluwole Adeleye Sunday abandoned the original venue where security had been tightened for the ASUU Secretariat inside the Ugbowo campus of the University of Benin.
It was learnt that the venue had been leaked and the NLC leaders moved to another venue where the inauguration took place.
Comrade Oluwole urged the Caretaker Committee to resolve all issues and ensure that new executives were elected.
Prof. Igbafen, the Caretaker Chairman, promised to reunite all Edo NLC factions.