NSCDC Confirms Sealing Of Rivers NLC Secretariat

THE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC) has confirmed the sealing of the Rivers State Secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC) over alleged leadership crisis rocking the body.

The spokesman of NSCDC, Rivers State Command, Olufemi Ayodele, while confirming the incident yesterday, said the action followed intelligence report that the NLC state Chairman, Mrs. Beatrice Itubo, was using the Secretariat for political meetings.

Ayodele, who noted that the command has the mandate to protect critical state assets and infrastructure, the Corps got information that there was a fracas between the Labour Union and its leader, who is currently a Labour Party gubernatorial candidate.

According to him, it was alleged that Itubo was using the union secretariat as a meeting point, saying that the Labour Union is taking the stand that they are not fraternising with the party.

Ayodele, who said the corps, was only out to maintain law and order, said, “As a result of preventing unforeseen cir - cumstances occurring be - tween the two. They called on us to seal up the place for the moment as the labour union executive and members were not using the premises. So, it is preferable for the security to take over the place.

“One of the very salient mandate of the NSCDC is to monitor trade unions. So, we are there to protect critical national assets and infrastructure in that premises.”

The Guardian learnt that armed operatives of the corps stationed an operational van at the entrance of the NLC secretariat and denied access to officials, who wanted to have an emergency meeting at the office located on Ibukwu Street in the D/ Line axis of Port Harcourt.