KADUNA State Police Command and Governor Nasir el-Rufai, yesterday, warned the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to steer clear of the state.

The NLC plans to hold a solidarity rally in Kaduna State today to drum up support for the state council of the union, which had gone on an indefinite strike to protest the sacking of over 21,000 primary school teachers.

Addressing different press conferences in Kaduna, yesterday, the state Commissioner of Police, Agyole Abeh, and the state governor, Nasir El Rufai, said in view of the precarious security situation in the state, such protest was inappropriate.

But organised labour said, last night, that the governor cannot stop the planned peaceful protest. Governor El-Rufai, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, accused the leadership of organised Labour of pursuing personal agenda to the detriment of the Kaduna State children.

He said: “The last time the NLC and NUT organised what they called a peaceful rally, they attacked the Kaduna State House of Assembly and destroyed public property in addition to engaging in unlawful assembly and other violations of the Penal Code of Kaduna State.

‘’The Attorney-General of Kaduna State has filed criminal complaints and has obtained bench warrants for the arrest of those involved in fomenting the chaos of Wednesday, 8th November 2017.

“Government is committed to protecting the lives, property and livelihoods of the citizens of Kaduna State, and will take firm and decisive actions against any persons or group that seek to undermine this.”

Speaking on the strike embarked upon by primary school teachers in the state, Governor El-Rufai said there would be no going back on the sacking of the teachers, adding that the state government would not allow any individual or group to blackmail or hold it to ransom.

Also addressing a press conference, yesterday, the state Commissioner of Police, Agyole Abeh, said the leadership of organised Labour should engage with whatever authority it has disputes with rather than resorting to protest.

According to him, the present law of the state prohibits all forms of public protests.

Meanwhile, organised labour, yesterday, evening told Governor El-Rufai that he cannot stop the planned peaceful protest today.

The NLC in a statement entitled, “No stopping us now,” claimed that information available to the labour movement revealed that Governor El-Rufai had allegedly mobilised thugs to disrupt today’s planned workers peaceful protest.

The statement signed by the National President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, read: “We also have information that the Commissioner of Police , Kaduna State Command has said all protests in the state remain banned.

“We do not think he has such powers. Moreover, it would run against the grain of fair-play and proper policing if the Commissioner will be selective in which protests he allows because only recently, the governor himself organised two protests in support of his policies in the state.”

“We do hope the statement credited to the Commissioner is not true. “We also do hope he does not condition his officers and men to allow their services to be procured in   furtherance of a sinister agenda.

“We not only warn against these desperate tactics, we feel duty-bound to draw the attention of the relevant authorities and the generality of Nigerians to the grave dangers these portend.

“Peaceful protest is a   form of expression validated or legitimised by our national constitution, ILO Conventions and and our Labour Laws and no Governor, no matter how executive, should abridge this legitimacy!

“We at the Nigeria Labour Congress, and indeed, all law-abiding citizens consider any attempt to circumvent the Law by any citizen, no matter how highly-placed as an affront to our history of popular struggle and democratic values.

“We wish to use this opportunity to let the Governor and his cohorts know that our members from across the country are fully mobilised in Kaduna, and nothing, absolutely nothing, will stop them from peacefully protesting against his mindless policies on  Thursday, November 11, 2018.

“We also wish to let the world know that he has made this peaceful protest inevitable by his refusal to fully submit himself to the conciliation process   by the Federal Ministry of Labour.

“We are in a democracy governed by the rule of law and not the caprice of a vindictive mind out to satisfy only the whims of the World Bank and the IMF.

“Finally, we also wish to call upon the Inspector General of Police and the leaderships of   other relevant security agencies   to   caution   their officers and men against betraying their oath of office by   accepting to do a dirty job.

“Today, it is about 36,000 Kaduna State workers thrown out of work for no just cause.  Tomorrow, it could be anybody. “We are committed to a peaceful protest. No stopping us now. “     – Vanguard

Jan. 11, 2018 @ 05:36 GMT /