The organised labour in Rivers State has suspended its planned protest over the continued police blockade at local government area secretariats.
The labour unions include the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
They claimed that the suspension followed reports of plans by some individuals to incite violence under the guise of being labor members.
NLC Chairman Alex Agwanwor, at a joint press briefing in Port Harcourt on Sunday, urged the police to apprehend anyone who protests in the union’s name on Monday.
Agwanwor advised Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) members who initially proposed the protest to wait for further directives from the labor centers.
READ ALSO: Police Take Over All LG Secretariats In Rivers
The NLC Chairman and his TUC counterpart, Ikechukwu Onyefuru, also dismissed accusations from former local government chairmen that state labor leaders are partisan.
The unions had on Friday asked the police, who took over local government secretariats in the state, to vacate the council premises.
The Friday meeting addressed three key issues: the constitution and inauguration of caretaker committees in the 23 local government areas; the call by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for a state of emergency in the state; and the police takeover of council secretariats.
READ ALSO: Fubara Swears In Rivers Caretaker Committee Chairmen
The NLC boss in the state acknowledged the police efforts to maintain peace but stated that delaying workers access to their offices was a breach of their rights.
He urged the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to instruct the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to grant workers access to their offices to carry out their legitimate duties.
The labor groups warned that if their appeal was ignored, they would mobilize their members to reclaim their offices.