Crisis In Rivers NLC As Thugs Attack Oruge

A group of youths
suspected to be thugs on Wednesday attacked the Rivers State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Dr Chris Oruge.
Oruge was beaten up by the youths, who stormed his office during the meeting of the state executive of the NLC held in Port Harcourt.
It was learnt that top officials of the labour union had expressed dissatisfaction over Oruge’s refusal to vacate office as the chairman after he was suspended by the Nigeria Union of Teachers, his parent union.
Eyewitnesses disclosed that the state NLC boss was left with injuries to his face and torn clothes after the attack by the angry youths.
But the Vice Chairman of the state NLC, Mr Williams Addah, told newsmen that contrary to the claim in some quarters, Oruge was not beating by thugs, but was prevented from gaining entrance to his office.
Addah said, “What actually happened was that there was a SEC meeting this morning at the instance of the state chairman of NLC and when we got there, there was information that he had been suspended from his primary industrial union, NUT.
The suspension letter read May 28, 2013, and we didn’t know and he hid it.
“We all know that the NLC membership is by union, it is not by individual.  So, the moment you are suspended or you are no longer having any dealings with your union, you seize to hold any office in the NLC.  Your primary union is a platform for which you can stay to pivot the affairs of the NLC. So, since he has been suspended, he has nothing to do with the NLC again. We were not aware until recently and we investigated  and it was so”, he added.