The Nigeria Labour Congress has described the barricading and prevention of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, and other lawmakers from gaining access to the premises of the National Assembly as “disgusting, barbaric and shameful”.
The congress in a statement signed by its president, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, said the harassment, intimidation, molestation and tear gassing of the lawmakers by members of the Nigeria Police Force was unlawful and an act of impunity in furtherance of partisan consideration.
The statement read in part: “It is worrisome already that the government has done little to mitigate the damage done by its previous acts adjudged to be unconstitutional. Yet every government that seeks legitimacy must demonstrate a certain level of sophistication even in violation.
“We find the explanation by the police for their conduct, spurious and puerile and not worthy of response. We however, do admit we have a major problem on our hands when the police lend themselves to doing private jobs instead of their prescribed duties. The Inspector General of Police must check himself or do the next honourable thing, resign.
“We believe Aminu Tambuwal about whom this Gestapo operation was, holds a constitutional office and deserves all the respect and privileges befitting that office. It was bad enough that the IGP unlawfully withdrew his security detail. While we await the next scene after this messy attempt at denying him access to the National Assembly, we find it necessary to quote a popular Chinese proverb: ‘Those who seek vengeance must dig two graves’”.
While stressing that “we cannot continue like this”, the NLC said it would resist with every lawful means available to it, any further attempt to put the country’s democracy in jeopardy.
“Nigerians will resist any further brazen and unclad use of power or any conduct capable of truncating this democracy. The National Assembly is a critical institution in our democracy and should be accorded all the respect it deserves”, the statement concluded.
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