Wabba Did Not Fight With Civil Servants Over Housing Project –NLC

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday refuted media reports alleging that the congress attacked some protesting civil servants overN1 billion housing project at the headquarters on Wednesday.

Two national dailies (LEADERSHIP not included) published stories captioned: “NLC president fights civil servants over N1 billion housing project” and “NLC President Fights Publicly with Civil Servants”, respectively on 18th and 19th January 2023.

But in a statement issued by the NLC head information and public affairs, Comrade Benson Upah, the congress described the publications as malicious and sought the management of the media houses to retract their publications within seven days.

Upah said what transpired at the NLC premises and its environs that day was a case of deliberate act of terrorism organised by one Emeka Anuna who lead the protest to scuttle the congress’ ongoing efforts to address issues of concern in the said housing project

The labour centre has also petitioned Anuna to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), FCT Command and seeking the Department of State Services (DSS) investigation into the protest to unearth the alleged sponsors of the “grand attack” against workers especially genuine subscribers of the FGN/FCT/NLC/TUC Mass Housing Project and bring those frustrating the project to book.

The statement reads in part, “The attention of the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has been drawn to a fictitious publication by the Punch and Sun Newspapers of 18th and 19th January 2023, respectively on alleged attack on civil servants by the NLC over a N1 billion Housing Project.

“It is unfortunate that miscreants posing as workers’ representatives decided to spin a false narrative and present the same to the public as true.

The truth is that the headquarters of the NLC on 18th January 2023 came under a heavy attack by hoodlums sponsored and led by one Mr. Emeka Anuna who poses as Chairman of the FGN/FCT/NLC/TUC Mass Housing Project Subscribers Association”.

“The FGN/FCT/NLC/TUC/ Mass Housing Project of 2014 is a project that is dear to the heart of NLC and TUC and which has elicited very proactive, progressive, and sustained actions by the leadership of the Congress led by Comrade Ayuba Wabba to ensure timely delivery of the project.

It is unfortunate that the Punch and Sun Newspapers which have direct access to the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress could not even place a call across to Congress President to hear his own side of the story before going to town with such a false reportage.

“We call on the management of the newspapers to retract the story captioned: “NLC president fights civil servants over N1 billion housing project” and “NLC President Fights Publicly with Civil Servants”, respectively, within seven days,” he added.