ABUJA — THE Abuja chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) yesterday condemned, in strong terms, the arrest of President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Adams Oshiomole, 24 hours to the commencement of general strike action to protest recent hike in the prices of petroleum products by the Federal Government.
According to the association, the arrest is a “fundamental breach of his constitutional right to freedom of movement”.
Oshiomole was reportedly arrested at the domestic wing of Dr Nmamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 8.30 am on Saturday on his way to Warri to attend burial ceremony of Governor James Ibori’s mother.
In a two page statement by the lawyers, they stated their support for the strike action if President Olusegun Obasanjo should refuse to hearken to the demand of Nigerians for reversion of the petroleum products’’ prices to their old rates.
In the event that the Federal Government refuses to back down, NBA however cautioned NLC and the civil society to monitor the conduct of their members so that they do not engage in any act of violence which may lead to breakdown of law and order.
The two page statement signed by its Chairman, Chief J K Gadzama (SAN) reads in part: “having observed that Nigerians have been subjected to harsh economic conditions over the years as a result of one form of economic reform policy or the other, we join well meaning Nigerians in calling the government to immediately devise means of alleviating the untold hardship and suffering by the masses.
‘‘This is because the primary constitutional duty of the Federal Government is to cater for the welfare and security of its citizens.
“The government and the organized labour should immediately have a dialogue with a view to resolving the areas of conflict to avert the impending strike action which if it takes place, there will be no winner or vanquish but that it is the common man that will pay dearly suffer.
“We join other concerned citizens, civil societies, NGOs and various groups to demand that government immediately reverts back to the old prices.
“If this happens, the Nigerian Labour Congress will certainly have no option but to jettison the proposed strike action,” it added.
