A coalition of labour and media unions has accused the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, VON, Mr. Jibrin Baba Ndace, of victimizing staff and union leaders through arbitrary redeployments following internal demands for accountability.
The unions, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), and the Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU), jointly condemned what they described as a clampdown on free expression within the organisation.
According to the unions, the affected officials were transferred shortly after raising concerns over poor operational conditions at the Lagos office, which they said included worsening infrastructure, inadequate power supply, and staff welfare issues.
The coalition accused the VON leadership of responding to the internal complaints with “retaliation and official intimidation,” rather than addressing the problems raised.
They further alleged that the redeployment was a deliberate move to silence whistleblowers and union representatives who were performing their legal and civic duties to uphold workplace standards.
Describing the action as a threat to democratic values and industrial peace, the unions called on the management of VON to reverse the redeployments, respect the rights of workers to unionise and raise concerns, and ensure due process is followed in all administrative decisions.
They warned that continued targeting of staff who speak out could lead to escalated action across the labour community.
“We will not stand by while workers are punished for defending ethical governance,” a representative of the coalition stated, adding that broader solidarity actions may be considered if their demands are ignored.
Efforts to reach the VON management for comments were unsuccessful as of press time.