The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, said yesterday that the disadvantages in the use of military force to remove the military junta in Niger Republic outweigh the benefits.
It also told the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS Heads of State and Government to listen to the wise counsel of people before rushing into decisions that would have adverse consequences on member states.
Labour equally warned the authorities of ECOWAS not to allow themselves to be used by forces outside the regional body or the African continent.
NLC in a statement signed by the President, Joe Ajaero, recalled that at the end of the second extraordinary summit of the Authority of ECOWAS (Committee of Heads of State/Governments) on Thursday, August 10, 2023, it issued a terse statement “directing the Committee of Chief of Defence Staff to activate the ECOWAS standby force with all its elements immediately;
The statement read: “It will amount to stating the obvious that we at the Nigeria Labour Congress are averse to military rule. Indeed the history of the struggle for democratic rule in Nigeria cannot be complete without mentioning the illustrious contribution of the Labour movement.
“Despite our unimpeachable credentials in the popular struggle against military rule, we would strongly counsel against the use of military force to remove the military junta in Niger Republic as the disadvantages clearly outweigh the benefits.
”The disadvantages range from putting in danger the lives of the deposed President Bazoum and his family to the destabilisation of the entire region, including Northern Nigeria, and loss of many lives in and out of the battle field
