The Coalition of Northern Groups has warned the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, against abusing the rights of members of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
It also expressed solidarity with the NLC in the ongoing strike to checkmate what it called the state government’s growing excesses and abuse of privilege.
The group’s position was contained in a statement on Wednesday by its spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman.
The statement was titled ‘CNG lauds NLC, warns El-Rufai against rights breaches’.
The group also warned El-Rufai against escalating tensions with unguarded utterances and action.
It also faulted what it called the growing practice of deploying non-state actors against peaceful processions by some political leaders in the state and commended the police for “refusing to compromise professionalism when state-sponsored thugs unleashed violence on workers who were merely protesting impunity”.
“We are watching events as they unfold and for the avoidance of doubt, if the governor insists on pursuing the path of brigandage to suppress the ongoing civil action by workers, he would certainly be called to account for any unforeseen eventuality.
“While we restate our total support for the ongoing action by the courageous leaders of the organised labour and stand firmly in solidarity with the Kaduna State workers who have subjected to suppressive and inhumane policies of Elrufai,” Suleiman said.
He said the CNG would leave no stone unturned in pushing for thorough investigation and prosecution of the political leaders or government officials behind the practice of deploying armed violent thugs on peaceful assemblies in the state which is fast becoming the new normal.
“We recall that the CNG had once suffered similar state sponsored attack by armed gangs that disrupted its meeting on security at Arewa House. We find it unacceptable that armed thugs in their hundreds would storm the streets of a state capital, unleash violence on peaceful assemblies and vanish into the thin air,” he added.
