FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
The Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on Wednesday elected Comrade Odion Olaiye as the state chairman amid disobedience of Court order.
Comrade Odion Olaiye was the acting chairman of the state NLC before his recent elevation.
According to the NLC constitution, Comrade Olaiye is expected to serve a three-year tenure and is eminently qualified to seek re-election for another term of three years
Some of the delegates to the Congress, however, queried the process leading to the emergence of the new state chairman of the NLC, saying it was greatly flawed.
They further contended that Comrade Olaiye does not enjoy the full backing of the workers, adding he was “imposed” on the state NLC by the national body in collusion with the state government.
At the pre-election business meeting, one of the contestants for chairmanship position, Comrade Lazarus Imokhai Adorolo, the current Chairman of NULGE in Edo State was told he had been disqualified.
Nonetheless, normalcy was still maintained in the hall until when members were asked to move motion ɗissolving the Odion Olaiye-led executives by the National Delegate for the election and representative of NLC National President, Comarde Mike Olanrewaju.
After this, Comarde Olanrewaju was addressing members of the NLC in Edo State when the disqualified contestant politily approached the National Delegate, Comrade Olanrewaju for a one or two comments before the election, but his request was turned down which resulted to exchange of words and consequently, a free-for-all, making members in the hall to scamper for safety.
Comrade Lazarus Adorolo union -NULGE and 19 other unions, while arguing that the election should not hold, insisted that there’s already a count injunction, from suit No NICN/ ABJ/ 58 /2023, adding that he should be told why he was disqualified.
It took the intervention of operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, to restore normalcy to the hall, after which Adorolo’s union, two other contestants for the position of chairman alongside their unions and 16 others staged a walkout.
In addition, he stated that there was a court order against the conduct of Congress but that the NLC completely disregarded it and proceeded to hold the Congress under tight security.
Addressing the press after his union and 18 others staged a walkout, Comarde Adorolo said despite meeting all the constitutional requirements, he was told he had been disquilified, adding that he was not told reason why he was disqualified.
He added that before now he had been pressured by some functionaries of Edo State Government, but he had insisted that if he must step down, then the candidate sponsored by the government too must step down for new persons to show interest.
“Five persons showed interest in the chairmanship but one was called to Government House to write his withdrawal, which he did. There are pressures from government for people to step down.
Comrade Adorolo said, “I was also approached by one of the government functionaries to step down but I insisted that it is not about me but the process, if I should step down, then government candidate too should step down, then let neutral persons come in, but they said no,” he added.
According to him, “When you are screening credentials, there are procedures, for instance, if the screening committee discovered any discrepancies, everyone expect I should be called for questioning, but this didn’t happen.”
He also accused the national body of NLC led by Comrade Joe Ajero of compromise, saying the present leadership of NLC is worse than INEC.
He said: “We are aware that the national leadership of NLC under Comarde Ajero has compromised, because Tuesday last week, we held a SEC meeting and thugs were brought into the hall to invade the secretariat of NLC in Benin. We did write a petition to the national leadership of the NLC calling for immediate intervention but till this moment, we have not heard from them. Ajero accused INEC of corruption after the just concluded election but unfortunately he is worse than INEC”
He continued: “Of course I told the returning officer that he has compromised too. He called me and said we should do a single line up, and I told him it’s not a bad idea but let the two parties meet. He eventually opened up to me that my group was only given the position of an auditor, but I told him that cannot happen.
“Of course, I should be given the opportunity to make one or two remarks about the disqualification but he said I cannot talk. So, we have to stage a walkout. We are not participating in the election”.
According to him, “We have already gone to court. The NLC headquarters was served a court paper this morning that we are in court with them. So, if we are in court with them on this election, it is unacceptable to conduct any election. It is contempt of court.”
He called on the National body to re address the issue , because if it remains like this NLC is dead in Edo State.