Kwara labour demonstration erupts into chaos, three River Basin employees injured and admitted to hospital

Tension flared up on Monday at the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, as a protest by organised labour turned violent, resulting in at least three staff members being hospitalised and prompting intervention from the police and DSS.

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The protest involved members of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the National Union of Agricultural and Allied Employees, who staged parallel demonstrations against the agency's management over alleged poor welfare conditions, high-handedness, and anti-labour practices.

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According to reports, the NUAAE members, who accused management of neglecting workers' welfare, escalated their protest into violence, attacking staff and inflicting various degrees of injuries, with at least three workers being rushed to the hospital for treatment.

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In response to the incident, the management of the authority, led by Managing Director George Olumoroti, lodged formal complaints with the Kwara State Commissioner of Police and the Department of State Services over the breakdown of order and attacks on staff.

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Earlier in the day, NLC-affiliated workers had shut down operations at the organisation's headquarters, barricading entrances and grounding administrative activities for several hours while demanding improved welfare conditions, better treatment of workers, and the removal of the Managing Director.

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However, the management dismissed the protests as politically and administratively motivated rather than purely welfare-driven, with Olumoroti denying allegations of anti-labour practices and claiming that the unrest was part of a coordinated effort to frustrate ongoing reforms and disrupt disciplinary processes within the agency.

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Olumoroti stated that his assumption of office in April last year was followed by a review of handover notes and internal records, which revealed unresolved disciplinary cases involving alleged financial misconduct, including non-repayment of advances and misuse of official processes.

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He explained that multiple investigative panels, including those with ministerial representation, had previously reviewed the cases and reached similar conclusions recommending sanctions, with at least two or three different committees at different levels pointing to infractions and recommending sanctions ranging from dismissal to recovery of public funds.

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The MD noted that although the supervising ministry later reduced a dismissal recommendation to a warning, the affected officer allegedly rejected the decision and challenged the process, with the ministry exercising leniency and commuted the dismissal to a lesser sanction.

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Olumoroti disclosed that the ministry had directed the constitution of a fresh committee to re-examine allegations that evidence used in the disciplinary process was forged, adding that the directive had already been implemented with a new committee set up to ensure transparency and fairness in line with public service rules.

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He expressed concern that the timing of the protests suggested an attempt to derail the committee's ongoing work, warning that the authority would not allow intimidation or street pressure to override established administrative procedures.

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Olumoroti confirmed reports of violence during the protest, saying some staff members were attacked and were currently receiving medical attention, and maintained that while workers had the right to unionise and protest, such actions must remain lawful and non-violent.

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He stressed that government operations could not be held hostage by unrest, and that the authority would continue to follow established procedures to address the issues at hand.