The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has denounced as untrue and foolish reports that its President, Joe Ajaero, was invited by the Department of State Services, DSS, but failed honour the invitation, leading to his incarceration.

According to the NLC, Ajaero has a respect for authority and it was not in his character to turn down invitations.

Recall that while travelling to London to attend a convention of the UK’s Trade Union Congress, or TUC, Ajaero was seized and arrested by the DSS at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

The President declared that everyone was subject to the law after the controversy surrounding the DSS action. The administration further claimed that Ajaero ought to have accepted the security agency’s request.

In addition, the story that Ajaero turned down the DSS invitation grew in popularity, which prompted the NLC to respond and “set the records straight.”

“He wasn’t invited at all.”

The DSS invited Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), prior to his arrest, but he declined the invitation, according to a story that has been making the rounds on various media platforms, according to Benson Upah, Head of Information and Public Affairs at the organisation.

According to the “sources,” this was the cause of his detention at the airport while travelling to the United Kingdom.

“The Congress President had a meeting with the Director-General, DG, DSS, during a courtesy visit in the days before his arrest.

“Thereafter, an agency director gave the Congress General Secretary a call to discuss the necessity of setting a date for the courtesy

When the DG DSS and Comrade Ajaero last spoke on Saturday night, Ajaero informed the DG that he would be leaving the following Sunday and that the courtesy visit would be reimbursed on Friday, September 13.

The Congress President’s flight was rescheduled for Monday, September 9th, after he missed it on Sunday.

That Monday morning, DSS agents acting on behalf of a partner agency hauled him up as part of a watch list operation.

We would want to reiterate that Joe Ajaero is the leader of the largest pan-Nigerian group, is a law-abiding man with a distinguished background in patriotism, and would not ignore the DSS.

He is a well-known international trade unionist who sits on the executive boards of global trade union federations. His supporters are not limited to Nigeria.