The Citizens for Democratic Dividends in Nigeria (CDDN) has rejected the attempts by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its President, Joe Ajaero to deceive Nigerians and manipulate public sentiment.
It said it considered NLC’s fraudulent claim of betrayal as an insult to the collective intelligence of Nigerians and a blatant attempt to exploit the genuine grievances of the people for personal gain.
A statement issued on Wednesday by its Executive Director, Ahmad Idris, rejected any maneuver by Ajaero or the NLC to drag Nigerians into covering up his alleged terrorism charges and his efforts to manipulate the truth.
It stressed that Joe Ajaero’s recent statements, where he claimed that the government betrayed the labour movement by failing to honour a supposed agreement on a ₦70,000 minimum wage without a corresponding increase in fuel prices, are nothing but a desperate ploy to garner sympathy and deflect attention from his own criminal charges.
The group recalled that NLC and Ajaero openly recently betrayed the Nigerian people when they were desperate for their salary increase without taking cognisance of the plight of millions of ordinary people.
It said: “Ajaero’s sudden outcry, after months of inaction, is not only sad but also a testament to his disregard for the true interests of the Nigerian people.
“When Nigerians were facing unbearable hardship and called for nationwide protests, Ajaero and the NLC turned a blind eye. They refused to participate in the protests, prioritizing their minimum wage agreement over the suffering of millions of Nigerians.
“Now, faced with accusations of treason and alleged involvement in a plot to overthrow the government, Ajaero seeks to drag the NLC and the Nigerian people into his personal legal battles. This is a clear attempt to use the labour movement as a shield to escape justice.”