Edo NUEE president admitted to hospital after alleged assault

The Edo State Chairman of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Comrade William Uwumarogie, has been hospitalized following an alleged assault during his arrest by military personnel and suspected hoodlums in Benin City, the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) has said.

Congress revealed that Uwumarogie and other syndicate members arrested in an overnight raid on Thursday were released but expressed concern over the president’s condition.

In a statement issued on Friday, NLC Acting General Secretary, Comrade Benson Upah, said the incident occurred at the premises of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) on Akpakpava Road, Benin City, amid an ongoing strike by electricity workers.

The trade union body condemned the arrests, claiming that union officials were brutalized during the operation as they participated in industrial action over working conditions and terms of employment.

He accused the state government of adopting a hostile approach towards organized labor and called for an end to the use of force in resolving industrial disputes.

“The incident occurred shortly after representatives of the state government met with labor leaders and the federal government in Abuja to discuss outstanding industrial relations issues.

“The state government had asked for more time to resolve the disputes, describing the alleged raid on the union members as contradictory to its call for dialogue,” the statement read in part.

Congress urged the federal government to take note of the development, arguing that the state’s request for more time was not made in good faith.

He also accused the government of continuing to occupy the NLC secretariat, which he said had attracted the attention of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

The NLC has demanded an apology from the state government, urging an end to the use of violence in the handling of industrial relations issues.

Meanwhile, Energy Commissioner Paul Usenbo expressed concern about the impact of the blackout caused by the electricity workers’ strike, noting that the government is intensifying its intervention efforts for dialogue between the union and BEDC management.