Citizens Have Right To Protest, Petition Govt-NLC Tells SSS

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has refuted and rejected moves by the Department of State Services (DSS), to lump labour unions among groups who were organising to destabilise the country by subverting public order and unleashing violence on the streets.

President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, in a statement made available to journalists yesterday in Abuja, however, stated that citizens have the right to petition, protest or engage in any form of advocacy targeted at capturing the attention of government to their plight.

According to him, issuance of statements that appear to scare citizens from their rights to peacefully engage their government by the DSS would be considered greatly disrespectful to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and democratic order.

He said: “The linking of trade unions and by extension national labour centres with such subterfuge and criminality by the DSS is indeed very unfortunate and smacks of sheer mischief.

“First, trade unions and national labour centres such as the NLC are independent organisations recognised by both our national laws and international conventions with fundamental rights and liberties to associate, organise and undertake activities in the defence of workers’ rights and interests.”