NGCs (Natl. Governing Councils) - AUPCTRE

National Governing Council (NDCs) from 1996 to date

In 1996, the National Governing Council (NGC) of the union did not convene. A scheduled meeting in May 1997 in Ilorin, Kwara State, was blocked by State Security on the eve of its commencement. The Union received intelligence that its leadership, particularly the General Secretary, Comrade S.O.Z. Ejiofoh, was at risk of being arrested under the claim that AUPCTRE was an illegal and unregistered trade union. This prompted a last-minute change of time and venue for the meeting.

Upon their arrival, delegates gathered at the Union Secretariat in Ilorin and held the NGC meeting throughout the night. However, the authorities learned that the meeting was taking place already. The following morning, after the meeting was concluded, men of the Nigeria Police force intercepted and arrested delegates as they headed back to their hotels.

Despite the arrests of about 30 members, the meeting was held externally and success was recorded with the adoption of a key document titled “Fundamental Ideals and Focus of AUPCTRE” outlining the Union’s principles and ideological stance.
At the police station in Ilorin, the detained delegates (more than 30 in number) who were arrested in the name of holding an illegal meeting of an unregistered Union according to police, defiantly sang solidarity songs, and the overwhelming display of unity and resilience prompted the police to release them at about the early hours of 4:00 AM and 5:00 AM. After their release, the delegates returned to their hotels, collected their belongings, and departed for their respective stations.

The persecution didn’t end there. Several other Union leaders, including Comrades Sara Njidda, Victor Monye, Morgan Adile, Benjamin Anthony, and Daniel Umoru from the Abuja State Council, were arrested and sent to Oktipo prison for allegedly operating an unregistered Union. Similar incidents of intimidation and arrests occurred in other parts of the country at that point in time.
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