**Demand Release Of Labour Leader Emelieze
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for the immediate and unconditional release of the Coordinator of the Federal Workers Forum, Andrew Emelieze, who is currently in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a personally signed statement, Atiku criticised President Bola Tinubu’s handling of Nigeria’s economic and labour issues, linking Emelieze’s arrest to the government’s alleged failure to meet its commitments to workers.
Atiku condemned the arrest of Emelieze, describing it as a descent into tyranny.
”When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu hastily and thoughtlessly removed fuel subsidy on the day of his inauguration, he triggered an economic avalanche that has since buried the average Nigerian under the weight of inflation, hunger, and despair,” Atiku said.
He further explained that the Tinubu administration had promised a temporary wage award to federal civil servants to cushion the impact of subsidy removal while negotiations continued on a new national minimum wage.
”In a bid to manage the self-inflicted crisis, the administration promised to pay a wage award to federal civil servants as a temporary cushion pending the conclusion of negotiations on a new national minimum wage,” he stated.
”That promise, like many others under this government, has become a broken covenant.”
Atiku noted the delay in concluding the wage negotiation process and the backlog of payments still owed to federal workers.
”It took the Tinubu administration a staggering 10 months to arrive at a new minimum wage figure,” he said. “By implication, the Federal Government owes 10 months of wage award arrears to federal workers.”
According to him, only six months’ worth of wage awards have been paid, despite repeated assurances.
”Yet, only six months have been paid and that too after a series of unfulfilled assurances and avoidable delays. As of today, the Federal Government owes four months of wage awards, amounting to ₦35,000 monthly, a total of ₦140,000 per worker,” he said.
The former vice president accused the federal government of showing “callous indifference” to workers’ welfare, contrasting it with what he described as better handling of labor issues by some state governments.
”While several state governments have shown commendable responsibility in the management of labour affairs, the Tinubu-led Federal Government has distinguished itself by its callous indifference and utter disdain for workers’ welfare,” he said.
”To make matters worse, instead of engaging in dialogue or fulfilling its promises, the government has now resorted to tyranny and suppression of free speech,” he said.
”Nearly two weeks ago, Comrade Andrew Uche Emelieze was arrested and detained for attempting to organise a peaceful protest to demand the payment of the overdue wage awards.”
”His only ‘crime’ was speaking up for workers abandoned by the state.”
Demanding Emelieze’s release, Atiku warned that the continued detention of labour activists sends a dangerous signal.
”We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Emelieze. His continued detention is an affront to democracy, a slap in the face of every Nigerian worker, and a chilling reminder of the authoritarian drift of the Tinubu administration,” he said.
He concluded with a strong message of solidarity to Nigerian workers, saying, “Let it be known: Nigerian workers will not be silenced, intimidated, or forgotten. The economic hardship is real, the hunger is biting, and the government has a duty to act, not repress.”
DECENCY GLOBAL NEWS had earlier reported that the FWF announced that it would hold a protest on July 14 to demand the payment of four months’ outstanding wages.
The group will use the protest to also call for a living wage, stating that “N70,000 is not enough to cater for the needs of workers.”
Additionally, the forum is demanding the “unconditional release of its Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, by officials of the Department of State Services, Oyo State.”
All workers have been mandated to assemble at the Federal Secretariat in Oyo State by 8 am on Monday for the peaceful demonstration.
