Edo NLC sacks Obaseki’s ally as chairman

The Edo State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress, on Monday evening, removed Comrade Odion Olaye as its state chairman.

It immediately appointed Comrade Bernard Joman as acting chairman of the union, pending when the national leadership of the NLC would conduct a fresh election in the state.

The development came as the administration of the outgoing governor, Godwin Obaseki, wound down in the state.

The decision to remove Olaye was reached at a State Executive Committee of the NLC held at the Labour House in Benin City, where 27 affiliate unions of the NLC out of the 34 active unions, affirmed the removal.

When contacted, however, Olaye said he remained the chairman of the union till 2027, adding that he reserves the right to seek re-election.

Olaye, in a telephone call, “There is nothing like that (removal). The NLC is not a small organisation that some people will just sit somewhere and decide.

“I remain the authentic NLC chairman in Edo State till 2027, nobody has changed me, nobody can go to the roadside and say they removed me, there is no truth in that. They are only trying to hide under the APC to do that.”

Reading the reasons for the decision, the chairman of the Council of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics, representing Auchi Polytechnic and Edo State Polytechnic, Osahon Omole, said Olaye had been removed by the court as the state chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers but he refused to comply.

He also alleged that Olaye had not paid his union dues to the NURTW for over 20 years and the NURTW, in a letter to the NLC, dated 4th November 2024 and signed by the State Secretary of NURTW, Godwin Aghimien, said it had recalled Olaye from representing the union in the NLC, having been removed since 2023 and a caretaker already in place.

The NLC leaders also accused Olaye of dragging the labour union into politics with his open identification with a political party in the build-up to the Edo State governorship election.

“We cannot allow anybody to drag the name of the NLC into politics like was done in the immediate past, we must salvage the union and this is the best time to do so,” the leaders said.

The acting chairman, who is of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, promised to restore the dignity of the NLC to ensure that workers’ welfare remains the priority.