The NLC members warned against any form of intimidation against them, let alone their leaders, saying no Nigerian deserves undue maltreatment while facing unbearable hardship in the country under President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
The NLC Chairman in Ebonyi, Professor Egwu Ogugua gave the warning when the labour union leaders staged a peaceful protest in front of the police headquarters, Abakaliki, the state capital.
He explained that the peaceful demonstration embarked on by the labour union leaders in the state was to demand justice for their National President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, who was invited to police headquarters for interrogation over the allegation of financing terrorism in the country.
Prof Ogugua recalled that highly celebrated personalities with integrity and other quality characters had suffered intimidation and even lost their lives through the instrumentalities of the government in power, citing the biblical record of the case between John the Baptist and Herod as an example.
The NLC State Chairman demanded that the police should ensure justice for Ajaero is not tampered with, saying the hardship in the country has no respect for any person, and restated the stance of the labour union leadership to protect members' welfare.
"Our National President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, being interrogated by the police headquarters, we are in charge, in our historic responsibility to stand by him, it is our responsibility not just to stand by him but to show solidarity.
"We, as Nigeria Labour Congres, are here because our national President's interrogation has not been proven beyond all reasonable doubt.
"In the spirit of who we are as Nigeria workers, we will stand firm for him until anything is proven beyond all reasonable doubt. We desire to stand here and pray for him as he is being interrogated by members of the Nigerian police force.
"Come to think of it, the Nigerian police force is here facing us in good spirits, looking unperturbed, it appears they are indeed ready to do the right thing.
"We shall also do the right thing by showing solidarity to our national President; I believe that in the spirit of all of us, whether Christian or Muslim, we believe in one God.
"I call on the woman leader to pray for our national President, pray for our country Nigeria. Today, our dear church celebrated the first of the martyrdom of the John the Baptist a man who spoke truth to power. In his time, he stood firm to the truth, and that led to him being beheaded by Herod and Herodias.
"Today in Nigeria, we don't want to believe that it is the hand of Herodians that is holding our dear president in Abuja; we want to believe that there will be free and justice in the discharge of their duties.
"We believe our Comrade President being an insignia of integrity to seeing to the people, the workforce, who has always stood in the gap for all of us.
"He should not be found wanting in matters related to terrorism, sponsoring terrorism, treason, no! It is an embarrassment to the Nigeria Labour Congress.
"We stand here today as people united in one voice and say if it is an intimidation of unionists and labour in Nigeria, we say fa-fa-fa-foul. If it is the hand of Herod in the interrogation of our comrade, we say fa-fa-fa-foul.
"We know that, and the truth will always remain the truth. It is not wrong to speak truth to power. It will never be wrong to speak true to power and we believe that the hand of Herod shall not be upon the head of our comrade president so that we shall not be beheaded.
He added: "Our leader should not be persecuted, NLC should not be intimidated, because we are children of God, the God of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
"He has been our hope and will continue to be our hope. We stand on the mandate given to us as the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress to seek your intervention for justice and peace to reign in Nigeria. We have no particular aim for anybody but we are here to seek justice for our President, Joe Ajaero.
"There's hunger in the land. There is hunger among workers in Nigeria, including police, the military and even the DSS; no one is exceptional.
"Thank you for being part of this struggle; on that note, I want to appeal that our mandate is to remain here until our president is given justice. That means we should not be in a hurry to go, but appealing passionately to hanging around the police headquarters."
Responding, the Commissioner of Police, CP Augustina Ogbodo in Ebonyi, who addressed the labour union protesters, commended them for not being violent in the state.
The CP represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the operation, Dennis Anyai, also assured the NLC members that their President would be given justice by the police.
"We have heard you, you started with God and you will end up with God. I'm here to assure you that the police headquarters who invited him (Ajaero) will give him justice."
The National Chairperson of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, Abuja, Comrade Ngozi Orji, led a prayer intervention, demanding justice for the NLC President and a total revive of the economy in the country.
