NLC Denies Stealing Labour Party Workers’ Salaries During Protest, Knocks Abure
The Acting Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Political Commission, Professor Theophilus Udubuaku, has denied claims that the union stole money for workers’ salaries at the Labour Party (LP) National Headquarters.
The LP National Chairman, Julius Abure, had accused the Joe Ajaero-led NLC and those they led to besiege the party’s national secretariat of stealing funds meant for staff salaries, among other valuables, during Wednesday’s attack.
In a statement signed on his behalf by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, Abure said, “NLC under Joe Ajaero is not above the law, and the law precludes Ajaero and the leadership of NLC to take laws into their hands, where they besieged the office, broke the fence, destroyed the gates, unlawfully took possession of the secretariat and destroyed properties worth millions of naira.
“Properties stolen, including monies, made for the payment of salaries and other official purposes. This is unfortunate. It is becoming unbecoming.”
Reacting, Udubuaku denied the claims, adding that the picketing of the party’s secretariat was done in the presence of security agents.
He said, “Abure should be reminded, since he is now suffering from selective amnesia that it took the picketing by Ajaero-led NLC to drive Lamidi Apapa away from the LP headquarters before he moved in.
“Talking about lies, it speaks much about who Abure really is when he claims that billions of naira were stolen when the picketing was conducted in the presence of scores of policemen, DSS officers, and pressmen. These lies alone define Abure as a man who is grossly irresponsible.
“We would like the Nigerian media to appreciate the fact that NLC is not interested in a media war with a man who thinks he can successfully transform himself into a sole administrator of LP.
“The press is expected to do its duty and fact-check the comments from Abure and his men and call them out as liars.”
