NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS CALLS FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF OMOYELE SOWORE

The Nigeria Labour Congress on Wednesday identified with Nigerians who took part in last week’s ‘RevolutionNow’ protests, and it called for the immediate unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore.

The NLC had in a statement issued last weekend, distanced itself from the protest which was planned for Monday, August 5, saying there was nothing to warrant it going into any protests.

Sowore, the convener of the protests was arrested on Saturday night by the operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) and is still being detained by the DSS which approached a court on Tuesday to keep him for 90 days. The court is to decide the case on Thursday, 8th of August.

But the NLC in a statement signed by its general secretary, Peter Ozo-Eson, roundly condemned the clampdown on peaceful protesters by the security agencies, describing it as a violation of the right of citizens to protest which is guaranteed in the constitution.

The NLC made it clear that there is nowhere in the constitution or laws that the security agencies are empowered to attack peaceful protests and hound its organisers into detention as the right to peaceful protests, assembly and association is fully guaranteed by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under sections 39 and 40.

The congress duly noted that peaceful protests against bad governance or perceived anti-people government policies is one of the critical fundamental rights that expands the entrenchment and growth of democracy, warning that the security agencies must not be allowed to continue to portray themselves as anti-democracy force .

The NLC noted that the continued detention of Sowore by the State Security Service lacks justification as his actions were not in any way threats to the sovereignty of Nigeria or the democratically constituted government of Nigeria.