By Aaior K. Comfort

The Nigerian Federal Government has firmly rejected allegations of human rights abuses made by the United Kingdom’s Trade Union Congress (TUC). Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, issued a statement dismissing the claims as baseless and arising from a misunderstanding of the situation in Nigeria.

The allegations surfaced during a recent UK TUC conference in London, where the Nigerian government was accused of violating human rights. In response, Onanuga clarified that Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero was barred from traveling abroad after he failed to respond to a summons from a law enforcement agency conducting an ongoing investigation. Onanuga stressed that no individual in Nigeria is above the law, drawing parallels to legal actions against prominent figures in other democracies, such as the United States.

Onanuga emphasized that Nigeria is governed by the rule of law, akin to other civilized nations, and insisted that the UK TUC’s accusations are unfounded. He assured that President Bola Tinubu, a known pro-democracy advocate, remains dedicated to protecting civil liberties and the rights of all citizens.

The statement also highlighted that the relationship between the Nigerian Labour Movement and the government is not adversarial. Onanuga noted that the government is consistently open to dialogue with labour unions, despite any political differences. He criticized certain ideological stances taken by labour unions, which he claimed have stunted Nigeria’s economic growth and compromised the welfare of workers. As an example