A resignation by a Caretaker Committee member highlights the escalating Edo NLC crisis and political unrest.
By Owen Eresoyen, Benin
The crisis rocking the Edo State Council of the Nigerian Labour Congress has taken a fresh twist as a member of the caretaker committee, Mike Ochei, announced his resignation on Sunday.
Ochei, who is also the state chairman of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, was part of the caretaker committee headed by Prof. Monday Igbafen, inaugurated by the National President, comrade Joe Ajaero, on August 28.
It was reliably gathered that two other members of the Prof.Monday Igbafen -led caretaker committee had earlier shunned the inauguration, describing it as a sham that cannot be trusted to move the movement forward in Edo state.
In a press conference at the state secretariat of the Garment and textile union, Edo state branch, comrade Ochei Oyenbuchukwu Mike explained that he never agreed to be a part of the said caretaker committee but was coerced into it.
According to him, “I discovered that it was a ploy by some disgruntled elements in the union to continue to remain in power by proxy which does not mean well for Edo workers”, noting that he has decided to align with the comrade Bernard Joman Egwakhide -led executive of NLC in Edo state.
Comrade Ochei further explained that “unionism as a movement is local and therefore cannot betray his people and state to favour a few parochial and short sighted persons in the NLC national leadership to the detriment of progress and better working and living conditions of Edo workers.
