COUNCIL OF INDUSTRIAL UNIONS OPERATING IN LAGOS STATE PUBLIC SERVICE
MOTTO: "An Injury to one is an injury to all"
EMERGENCY PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY THE COUNCIL OF INDUSTRIAL UNIONS (COIU) IN LAGOS STATE PUBLIC SERVICE AT NIGERIA CIVIL SERVICE UNION SECRETARIAT CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ALAUSA, IKEJA ON WED. 5TH JULY, 2000
The Council of Industrial Unions (C.O.IU) wishes to inform the Nigerian public and the world at large that Governor Tinubu led A.D government in Lagos State killed in cold blood one of our members in person of Mr. Adigun Popoola of Ministry of Works this morning at 11.15a.m
Since the strike started on the 22nd of June 2000, our members have been holding daily peaceful rallies and processions around the Lagos State secretariat. This morning as we embarked on the normal peaceful procession around the gates of the state secretariat, Alausa, policemen without cause or provocation started shooting tear gas and live bullets on the workers. In the process Mr. Adigun Popoola was hit. But he did not die immediately. When he fell down one of the police officers hit him in a callous and brutal manner. The police shot at the tyres of the vehicle conveying him to the hospital and in the ensuing confusion and delay Mr. Popoola gave up the ghost and was actually confirmed dead by doctors at Duro Soleye Hospital at Allen Avenue, Ikeja.
The police came in a convoy of four vehicles two of which bear Nos LA 20 AO1 (HQ) and BD 338 LSD (210). Aside from Mr. Popoola, Alhaja A. I. Olorunmibe, the chairperson of NLC Lagos State was also shot in the leg. In addition four of the striking workers, Mrs. Lousy Effiong, Mr. Ijegbayi, Mr Akintonmide and one other woman whose names cannot be confirmed at the time of writing this statement have been arrested. Meanwhile, comrade Ayodele Akele, Chairman of the Council of Industrial Unions in Lagos state has been arrested since yesterday by the members of the State Security Service (S.S.S) in connection with the industrial strike for the actualisation of the N7, 500 minimum wage across the board for all the public servants in the state, and his where about is still unknown
The C.O.I.U. wishes to reaffirm its unwavering commitment to continue with its industrial strike until our demand of N7,5000 minimum wage across the board is actualised. In addition, we demand the immediate and unconditional release of comrade Akele and all other workers detained in connection with the ongoing industrial action by Lagos state workers.
We demand the immediate prosecution of the killers of Mr. Popoola and a public apology and adequate financial compensation for the family of Mr Popoola >from the Lagos State government and the police. In this dark hours we hereby appeal to all men amd women of good conscience to prevail on the Lagos state government to desist from its barbaric and fascistic acts which brings back the better forgotten memories of the years of military dictatorship. In this respect we demand the immediate withdrawal of all policemen from the secretariat Alausa and other work places. We are workers not vandals. We have been on strike for the past two weeks and yet not a single louvre of glass or property of the state has been vandalised. It is the thugs brought by the state government and the police who have been disturbing public peace. We are also calling for the immediate resignation of Govenor Bola Ahmed because of the intransigent manner he has been handling the affairs of the state since the beginning of the strike action.
Finally, we wish to use this medium to once again appeal to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (N.L.C) to organise a coordinated nationwide struggle to actualise the new minimum wage for all categorise of workers across the country. This is necessary to prevent a situation where workers fight in isolation from one state to another.
The struggle continues. Victory is certain because our cause is just.
Comrade (Alhaja) A.I. Olorunmibe Comrade Henry Akinwunmi
N.L.C Chairperson, Lagos State Secretary, COIU