The Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Adams Oshiomhole, has recounted his experience during his tenure as the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
Oshiomhole who stated this while reacting to the recent injury inflicted on the current NLC President in Imo state, during a programme on Channels Television, revealed that he was once assaulted and detained by men of the Department of State Services during his tenure as the Labour Leader between 1999 and 2007.
The former governor of Edo State however criticized the decision of the organized labour to embark on a nationwide strike in response to the incident.
Premium Politics reported that Ajaero was attacked and brutalized during a workers’ protest in Imo recently, which led to serious injury inflicted on the NLC President by suspected thugs.
Reacting to the situation, Oshiomhole said, “I had a similar experience… I was on my way to Delta State, and I went to the airport. The then director of SSS ordered that I should be arrested and stopped from travelling because we had given an ultimatum to the then Federal Government headed by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“They dragged me on the tarmac, and I had my cuts all over the place. They forcefully prevented me from flying and took me back to the DSS director general’s office—then Col. [Kayode] Are.
“He offered to take me to their hospital, and I said, ‘No, I can’t even trust a government that has inflicted this kind of wound on me to treat me. They might as well poison my blood.’ I said I wasn’t going to do that.”
According to him, he ended up in detention for at least 48 hours after being “taken away” and expressed his determination to continue the struggle for justice.
The former Labour Leader further alleged that Ajaero has mixed politics with issues of organized labour.
He however maintained that Ajaero’s assault in Imo State is not a good reason for a nationwide strike.
