Acting Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Edo State Council, Comrade Bernard Egwekhide has urged workers in the state not to attend any inauguration of a caretaker committee for the NLC slated for Thursday the 28th of August 2025 at the Labour House in Benin City, the Edo State Capital.
Comrade Egwekide stated this in a Chat with Radio Nigeria in Benin City.
He alleged that the President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero was supporting the former Edo State NLC Chairman, Comrade Odion Olaye who have been impeached for breach of the constitution of the NLC and threat to set the state ablaze if a particular candidate was not announced as a winner of last year Governorship election in the state.
” We have impeached our former Chairman , Comrade Odion Olaye for breach of the constitution of the Nigeria Labour Congress and threat to set Edo ablaze if a particular candidate was not announced as the Governor of Edo State “.
Comrade Egwekide explained that as a team and inorder for them to work together as one body they were in Abuja last week to meet with the president of Nigeria Labour Congress but where amazed about the decision of the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero.
“We were in Abuja last week to meet with the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero who was fully supporting Odion Olaye ,who told us in a meeting when Odion Olaye was accused of so many offences , just for him to say that em the only way for us to settle this issues is for us to go back to Edo and ensure that Olaye finish his tenure and we said , that it’s not possible because first , the constitution of Nigeria Labour Congress gives room for impeachment and impeachment was done by the congress and the normal process .
Comrade Egwekide noted that the meeting with the President of NLC did not yield the desired expectations and maintained that Edo State did not need a caretaker committee as they have a body that is already existing
“all we expected was for him to oblige to our own opinion and called for a bye election for the replacement of
Odion Olaye but contrary was the issue, instead a caretaker committee was formed, which was rejected by me and the Sec of Edo State councils .
I don’t think in Edo we need a caretaker committee, we have a body that is already existing, the rules are very clear, in Nigeria Labour Constitution we have room for impeachment, process were followed, procedures were observed and what we think at this juncture is for the national body led by Joe Ajaero , if he knows that we have not done something contrary is for him to come to Edo and ask for a bye election, anything outside that instantly is no no no to Edo State Workers “.
The Edo NLC Acting Chairman stressed that the workers in the state will resist anybody from Constituting a Caretaker committee in Edo State.
In a related development,
The Edo State House of Assembly has adopted a resolution calling on the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero to stop the proposed leadership change of the present NLC Exco in the state.
The adoption of the resolution followed the consideration of a motion raised by the Majority Leader, Mr. Jonathan Ibhamawu ahead of a planned inauguration of a caretaker committee into the state executive council of the Nigeria Labour Council, NLC.
Presenting the motion for deliberation, Mr. Ibhamawu said that there was peace in labour force devoid of strife under the leadership of Comrade Bernard Eguakhide stating that the proposed action of Joe Ajaero was capable of breaching peace in the State.
He further said that any change in the present Exco should be considered at the end of the tenure of current state exco in order to sustain a peaceful and harmonious working environment in the state. .
Majority of the lawmakers during plenary spoke in support of the motion to put the proposed leadership change of the present NLC executive council in Edo State on hold in the Interest of peace and harmony.
Fortune Oyem, Calabar
