NULGE Threatens to Shut down More LGs in Abia

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

The Abia State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), has shut down the headquarters of Aba North Local Government Area (ANLGA) at Eziama and vowed to extend its strike to all the 17 local governments in the state to protest the alleged unruly behaviour of the chairman of ANLGA, Mr. David Ikonne.

NULGE paralysed activities at the Aba-North last Wednesday after the Head of Department, Works, Mrs. Chidinma Nwanosike, was hospitalised after receiving an alleged beating from Ikonne for refusing to sign a document she considered fraudulent and implicating.
Ikonne, whose unruly behaviour attracted condemna-tions, appeared before the State House of Assembly last Friday where he was questioned about the incident that led to the closure of the council secretariat.

The state legislature resolved to investigate the matter after Ikonne denied laying his hand on the lady. But the President of Abia NULGE, Mr. Ikechi Nwaigwe, who led other leaders of the union to close the council secretariat, said: “We got information that the Executive Chairman of Abia North Local Government Area, Mr. David Ikonne, brutally assaulted Mrs. Chidinma Nwanosike, the Head of Department Works of this Council.”

Nwaigwe explained that the strike and shutdown were based on the information the union received on the assault and beating of Nwanosike.
He said: “We will remain on strike until we see what actions are being taken. We’ve also given the Governor of Abia State 48 hours to address this issue.

“If the issue is not addressed to our satisfaction, we have no option than to declare industrial action in all the 17 local governments in Abia State to show the government that we are serious.”

He insisted that the council chairman has no reason to beat a high ranking official with plank and plastic pipe that he was said to have grabbed in a fit of anger against the HOD Works, adding that “it took the intervention of other workers to restrain him from inflicting further pains on the woman.

“In our slogan, injury to one is an injury to all. The woman is a director in the service. She knows the rules and behaved civilly. She may not have done anything to attract the beating, the harassment and the maltreatment,” he said.