The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/Transparency International (TI) Nigeria have advised against any attempt to silence the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress, (NLC).
Their reaction follows an invitation to the president of NLC, Joe Ajaero by the Nigerua Police as part of its investigation into terrorism financing in the country.
CISLAC’s Executive Director, Auwal Rafsanjani, in an issued statement in Abuja yesterday, said the oragnisation was concerned by what he described as attempts to incriminate, silence and blackmail the leadership of NLC.
He, however, said CISLAC was not against the investigation.
Rafsanjani said investigation must continue so that Nigerians can clearly see that the government was not fabricating allegations, adding that the integrity of both the NLC and the Police was at stake.
Only through a transparent and credible investigation process can Nigerians regain confidence in our security agencies. The Government and security agencies must do everything possible to restore trust and confidence in our criminal justice system, as citizens are rapidly losing faith in its ability to deliver justice fairly, he said.
According to him, it was important of the police to prove that it was not being used as a tool to undermine the legitimate struggles of the citizenry.
This action worries us, as it has the tendency to further damage the global reputation of President Bola Tinubus administration, being seen as an attempt to suffocate civil space. This could have severe consequences for Nigerias image on the international stage.
We advise that the President must make a personal effort to checkmate those who are demarketing his administration, he stressed.
