The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Joe Ajaero, on Monday stated that no governor has the authority to ban labour unions, highlighting that union practices fall under the exclusive legislative list in Nigeria’s Constitution.
Ajaero was responding to the proscription of labour unions in state-owned tertiary institutions by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, during a town hall meeting with workers at the NLC Secretariat in Lokoja, the state capital.
He asserted, “Union practice falls under the exclusive legislative list in the Constitution. No governor has the power to ban them. You cannot ban what you don’t control. Unions are registered nationally by the Registrar of Trade Unions. States may establish branches for administrative convenience, but what exactly are you banning?”
Expressing his surprise at the situation in Kogi State, Ajaero reiterated that the state government had no right to proscribe unions under the exclusive legislative list.
The NLC president also lamented the increasing trend of governors residing permanently in Abuja, neglecting the issues their states face. He said, “Most governors have abandoned their states, choosing to live in Abuja while their people are suffering.”
Ajaero was in Kogi State to launch 10 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses aimed at addressing the state’s transportation challenges. He noted that, during their visits to five zones, the NLC leadership encountered governors only in one state, as others were often in Abuja.
While acknowledging the ongoing economic hardship that workers face due to the rising cost of living, Ajaero criticized the government’s contemplation of increasing telecom tariffs, warning that it would add further strain on workers.
Addressing workers’ concerns, Ajaero promised to present their grievances and demands to the governor, stressing that the leadership would convey their issues directly if the governor was available. However, if he was absent, the NLC would pass on the information to his representative.
Ajaero emphasized that Kogi State was of particular importance to the congress due to its union leadership, with both the governor, Usman Ododo, and deputy governor being union figures. He explained, “Governor Ododo was once one of our officials in Niger State, and the deputy is an official of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).”
In his remarks, Ajaero described the visit as a “homecoming,” aimed at engaging with workers to assess whether the state leadership was addressing issues that had been raised in other states.
Earlier, workers in Kogi informed Ajaero that unions in Kogi State Polytechnics, Kogi State University, and the State Colleges of Education, Technology, and Nursing had been proscribed for over a decade. Other pressing issues included the non-implementation of annual salary increases, lack of housing for workers, and shortages of teachers in primary and junior secondary schools.
