What did Ajaero do?

Comrade Joe Ajaero is the incumbent President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC. He carries the wholesome weight of the masses who are down trodden, devastated, dejected and without hope, on his broad shoulders. When he speaks, the masses have spoken. In fact, he is the ultimate voice of the voiceless in this our once dearly beloved country, Nigeria.

Joe Ajaero within the context of his constitutional mandate can mobilise Nigerian workers out within a set time to trope out enmass for the sole purpose of a peaceful protest if he perceives any infraction in a particular instance, be it, a private entity or government agencies or any  parastatals for that matter.

Nigerians operate capitalistic tendencies in business endeavours thereby trampling and infringing on worker rights. These workers too, might be ignorant of their rights or even if any are aware, might not be able to effect the necessary change to upturn the status quo because of eminent sack by management.

And thus, they are inevitably forced to swallow hook and sinker any biased “rubbish” from their places of work in order to make ends meet in a traumatised economy of ours. Therefore, Comrade Joe Ajaero is not an ordinary man as some civilised and educated ignoramus think.

For, Joe is the total embodiment of our perceived pains, struggles and hope of a brighter future, if we are still alive. It is disheartening when on the 1st of November, Comrade Joe Ajaero mobilised Imolities in the Eastern part of the country for a peaceful protest, having considered the non-challant attitude of the Imo State government in what rational people all over the country and the whole world perceive as a great and a monumental injustice being perpetuated against the ordinary, helpless workers.

Accordingly, workers in Imo State are being owed close to forty-two months arrears in wages, minimum wage infraction, ghost workers as an excuse and so many other vices too numerous to mention. If Governor Hope Uzodinma knows he cannot steer the ship of Imo State voyage to berth the expected Eldorado, why not resign honourably and write your name in the sands of time. Maybe, His Excellency, Uzodinma underestimated the load, weight and burden that goes with the herculean governance of a state. Thus, Ajaero, was massively brutalised, humiliated, flogged and tortured mercilessly. WHAT DID AJAERO DO? This singular question is what is currently being upmost in our medulla oblongata, by “our”, I mean those who have conscience in this country.

Moreso, those who would have the sole courage to speak up and condemn in no strong terms, this dastardly act of police invasion carried too far. Police brutality in Nigeria has got to stop with immediate effect or else…

The “END SARS PROTEST” would be a child’s play. You can fool the people sometime, but you cannot fool the people all the time. To my utter dismay, some fellow journalists were also brutalised and degraded. Have the police forgotten so soon that the media is the fourth estate of the realm? Also, have the police forgotten that  “The Pen is  mightier than the sword?

Sadly, the Nigerian Police have not learnt any lesson this past years. Very unfortunately, the world is been proclaimed as a global village. Herein, what is a village? Simply put, a place where everybody know each other. That is what the world has become in the 21st Century advanced technology. Those policemen who acted in this wise of brutalising the courageous, hardworking representative of the masses must be brought to book. Their Superior officers who after collecting “egunje” from Imo State Governor must equally be prosecuted for peace to reign and as a deterrent for future occurrence.

Nothing more, nothing less. Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done. First and foremost, Governor Hope Uzodinma is a public servant, elected by the Imolites to represent them. He was not elected to add salt and injury to their pains.

Neither was he elected to order an executive fiat to oppress and denigrate the same people who elected him to steer the ship of Imo Voyage for a four year tenure in the first instance.

Uzodinma has taken the joke too far. Thus, he must pay dearly for this injustice and crime against humanity. The express fact that the state government distanced itself from the assault could only be told to the marines.  And not to rational beings like us and so many others of like minds.  These are the types of maggots infecting the gains of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission must as a matter of urgency and priority delves compulsorily into this matter before it spirals to other parts of the country. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Furthermore, a stitch in time saves nine. The works of Joe Ajaero of the NLC and its TUC counterpart must not die in vain. For, they are on a rescue mission to salvage the voiceless and poor masses of this clime. It is on record, that with the removal of the fuel subsidy at the advent of President Tinubu’s administration, the consequences had been monumental and diverse in all spheres of our daily lives.

The effects are felt in numerous households and business and business entities as everything and anything you can think of, is way beyond the reach of the ordinary man on the street. Despite the universal suffrage of the masses, one must on a daily basis, eat, transport his or herself, pay school fees that have been geometrically increased, buy drugs whenever necessary and take care of aged parents who are amongst our dependents.

In fact, it could be described that presently, life in Nigeria is brutish and a mountainous climb to attain. At this juncture, it must be emphatically stressed that every arm of government must sing a common song. Any, that falls short of expectation must and should be brought to book. The political misdemeanour of the Imo State governor must be checked and examined diagonally.

Can you imagine that the Police had the effrontery to recommend psychiatric test of our dearly and amiable and dynamic NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero? Who is fooling who in this instance. Who fits this cap? The Police or Ajaero?

Ajaero’s Labour must not go in vain. The Imo despot labelled us as destitute and despondents. Yes, we agree! Uzodinma called us fools, yet we agree, try as he my, he cannot take away our dignity, our collective resolve, our service to our God and most importantly our patience. I can boldly say that from now onwards, anything is possible and everything expected.

A word of caution to Imolites, stay calm, focused and you most endeavour to be your brother’s keeper. For those of us, revolutionaries have noticed your cries and lamentation. You are not alone in this struggle. Therefore, everyman must labour to be  a blessing to that place where the providence of God cast him.

Conclusively, you must also know that “winds and clouds of tribulation are in God’s hands, designed to try us.  God’s work shall agree with His word, whether we see or not. And we must trust God to provide for us”.

Just before you go, let me categorically quote what a group of some wise postulated “WE LIVE IN A TIME WHEN, INTELLIGENT PEOPLE ARE BING SILENCED SO THAT STUPID PEOPLE WON’T BE OFFENDED.”

*Kenny Okotie wrote via kennyokotie1959@gmail.com

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