Body advises police against turning check points to extortion centres

The Nigeria Labour Congress, on Wednesday advised the Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, to strictly monitor policemen deployed to check points to ensure that they do not turn them into extortion centres.

Issa Aremu, Deputy President of the NLC, gave the advice in a statement issued in Kaduna and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

"The removal of the military on the roads will facilitate movement of goods and people. Economic security of citizens is as important as the physical security. The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase must however make sure his men and women do not turn check points to extortion centres.''

He pledged that the NLC would work with the National Assembly to evolve a sustainable legislative agenda that would promote industrialisation and generate wealth in the country. Aremu commended the Senate for setting up an 18-member committee to review the lawmakers pay and draw up a legislative agenda in line with the economic realities of the country.

"We will partner with the leadership of the National Assembly to evolve a sustainable legislative agenda. In particular, we will support the national assembly to ensure legislations that will re-industrialize the country, promote productivity and generate wealth and prosperity.

"Some areas begging for critical legislations are Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), Industry Patronage Bill, power sector reforms and other extant laws to reposition critical government parastatals such as Nigeria Railway Corporation, Nigeria Customs Service among others,'' he stated.

Aremu stressed that the union was disturbed over the non-payment of legitimate earnings of workers in some states and federal establishments "and the indulgences of some elected officials that have collapsed the economy as rightly acknowledged by President Muhammadu Buhari.