*Says Ajaero failed to draw line between labour struggle and partisan politics
*Accuses NLC national body of illegally dissolving state exco
*NUEE vows to shutdown electricity supply nationwide
*NLC, TUC to meet over Imo attack
*Peter Obi, Falana, NUJ condemn attack, brutalisation of NLC president
Deji Ealumoye, Chuks Okocha, Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and John Shiklam in Kaduna
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State yesterday reacted to the allegation by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) that he was owing workers unpaid salaries, saying his government was not owing civil servants in the State.
Uzodimma, who spoke to newsmen at the State House, Abuja, yesterday, after collecting the ruling All Progressives Congress flag from President Bola Tinubu to run for a second term during the gubernatorial poll in the state on November 11, 2023, emphasised that since he resumed office over three years ago, the welfare of workers has been his priority leading to payment of the wages of the civil servants in the state as and when due.
The clarification by the Governor came just as electricity workers under the auspices of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) asked their members to withdraw their services nationwide from midnight yesterday, following the attack and brutalisation of the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, in Owerri, Imo State.
Also yesterday, the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, Femi Falana and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) expressed shock over the brutalisation of Ajaero by “unknown workers” in Owerri, Imo State.
Reacting to allegations that he was owing 40 months in salary arrears, Uzodimma said “I think it is a very good opportunity for me to clear the air on the so called allegations.
“When I came into Imo State as the governor on January 15th 2020, from 2020 January till date, there’s no month we have not paid salary before 30th. The situation is that before this time, I thought that the trade union is a democratic entity that allows the opinion of people.
“I don’t pay federal civil servants, I only pay Imo State civil servants and I challenged any Imo State civil servant to come out and say that between 2020 January 15th till date, that he has not received salary in any of the months”.
He also cleared the air on the crisis rocking the NLC in his state, saying it boiled down to Ajaero, mixing partisanship with labour affairs.
NLC President, Ajaero, had been brutalized on Wednesday in Owerri, Imo State capital where he had gone to lead a peaceful Labour protest.
The circumstances surrounding the attack became hazy as he alleged being abducted and beaten by police personnel, whereas the police came out to claim its operatives went into the melee to protect the NLC boss, who was under attack.
However, responding to questions from reporters on the Labour crisis in his state, Uzodimma accused Ajaero of being unable to distinguish his role as national Labour leader and being partisan Imo State indigene.
He said as the Chief Security Officer of the state, he intervened to stop the dissolution of the state chapter of the NLC, whose tenure he said had not expired.
Asked to explain why Ajaero was attacked in the state, Uzodimma said, “I wanted you people to be very careful because there is an attempt to mix up partisan politics or an attempt to blackmail my government, but I can tell you that my people are already aware of that.
“That was why the NLC Imo State chapter addressed a World Press Conference that what their national leadership is doing is not correct and that they are not going to do any strike or protests and in the process, they decided to dissolve them to put in a caretaker.
“Of course, I’m the Chief Security Officer and I have a responsibility to intervene. I encouraged the national leadership not to dissolve a management team that their tenure has not expired and that was what they did.
“I don’t interfere with Labour matters, but I have convinced my workers in Imo State to believe in me and that trust is what opposition parties are trying to fight. But I can assure you that Imo people already have taken that decision. 11th November is by the corner. Come and observe the election”.
“What has happened in this ugly incident is that the National President of Nigeria Labour Congress is from Imo State and has not been able to demarcate the difference between being a national leader of an organisation and an interested party in local politics. But God will manage the situation.”
Reminded that the workers were accusing him of reneging on January 2021 agreement aside the backlog of salaries and this might impact his re-election, Uzodimma said: “Well, I still repeat, there’s no worker in Imo State…recall I came in January 2020 and by March, I started paying minimum wage of N30,000 that had been lying there, that previous leadership couldn’t pay. By December 2020 I paid 13th month, the first time in the history of Imo State civil service and I have maintained continuously this 13th month payment as an incentive.
“I automated the payment system. Salaries are now received in an automated manner in Imo State. I brought new innovations, I reformed the civil service. No wonder in the civil service the entire Labour Congress of Imo State chapter endorsed me and I am the only candidate they are supporting in the election. The Nigerian Union of Pensioners endorsed me, from 2007 to 2020, no civil servants in Imo State received gratuity. It is only my government that has now floated bond to pay outstanding gratuities to civil servants.
“So, I understand the sensitivity of this event but I want you people to be very careful because there’s an attempt to mix up partisan politics or an attempt to blackmail my government.”
Ajaero: NUEE Vows to Shutdown Electricity Supply Nationwide
Electricity workers under the auspices of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) have asked their members to withdraw their services nationwide from midnight yesterday.
NUEE stated that its action was to protest the alleged arrest and brutalisation of Ajaero, by security agents on Wednesday, during a protest rally in Owerri, Imo State capital.
In a letter titled: “Mobilisation for Indefinite Nationwide Strike due to the Abduction of the NLC, President, Joe Ajaero. -Joe Ajaero,” NUEE described as callous and inhuman the treatment meted out to Ajaero who doubles as its General Secretary.
The letter addressed to all branches of the union and signed by its Deputy General Secretary, Dominic Igwwbuike stated that: “In response to the attrocious and inhuman behaviours of our fellow comrade and the President of the NLC by the Imo state goveenor and the Policemen of the Imo state Command today, Wednesday November 1, 2023, we will embark on total shutdown of the nation if the president is not released and adequate explanation given by the Nigerian government.
“To this effect all the national, state and chapter executives are requested to start mobilisation of our members for total compliance with the directive.
“Please note that withdrawal services commence nationwide commences at 00.00 hours of Thursday November 2, 2023.
“We cannot be at work while the president of the NLC is incarcerated and we cannot be peace when the rights of workers in Imo state are trampled upon with utmost impunity.”
Following the incident that led to the alleged attack and brutalisation of Ajaero by security agents in Imo State, the NLC said the leadership of organised labour would convene an emergency meeting soon to take definite position on the matter.
NLC’s Head of Information and Publicity, Benson Upah, who spoke to THISDAY on telephone, yesterday, said a meeting of all organs of the labour movement would be convened to review the actions of the Police and the Imo state government during the protest organised by the NLC in Owerri.
He said any of the affiliates unions was free within the laws to take any measure to express their outrage at the Owerri incident.
Obi, Falana, NUJ Condemn Attack on Ajaero
Peter Obi, who commented on the issue on his X (Former Twitter) page, wrote: “What happened to the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, in Imo state, yesterday has come as a rude shock to most Nigerians. It says a lot about the state of affairs in our country today.
“It shows the level of lawlessness, impunity, criminality, and rascality that have engulfed our dear country. Things like this should worry any discerning mind because it runs counter to the type of country that we all desire and deserve.
“In the New Nigeria of our dreams, abuse of power and the reckless violation of citizens’ rights through acts of impunity will have no place.”
Human rights activist, Femi Falana, called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to ensure that officers who allegedly brutalised the NLC President are arrested and prosecuted.
Falana, who faulted the statement by the Police who stated they only rescued the NLC President and put him in protective custody to prevent further assault on his by the “unknown workers.”
Falana said the explanation given by the Police was tainted with loopholes, wondering in the statement he personally signed why the Police failed to arrest the miscreants that brutalised the NLC President in their presence.
According to him: “The police version of the brutalisation of the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajero is full of loopholes.
“Why did the Police allow Comrade Ajero to be brutalised by the so-called miscreants? In other words, why did the police not protect him from the violent attack?
“So the Police who witnessed the attack without making any arrest suddenly turned round to take the victim to the police clinic. The members of the public who decried the barbaric attack took pictures, which exposed the misleading version of the police.
“It is disturbing that the Police justified the action of the so-called miscreants by saying that Comrade Ajero has disobeyed the order of a court. Why did the Police not allow the court to purge Comrade Ajero of contempt of court?
“We call on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to investigate and ensure that the Police officers who brutalised the NLC President are prosecuted without any delay.”
On its part, the NUJ condemned the arrest and brutality meted on Ajaero.
The NUJ in a statement said the Imo state government should be held responsible for any untoward thing that happened to Ajaero or any of its officials of the NLC.
The statement signed by Shuaibu Leman, National Secretary of the NUJ said the union was appalled at the treatment meted on Ajaero by sponsored thugs and the Nigerian police.
“We are appalled at the treatment meted out to the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero by sponsored thugs and the Nigeria Police”, the statement reads.
“We are equally full of consternation by the Gestapo manner in which Comrade Ajaero was battered and subsequently whisked away.
“Obviously the Nigeria Police and other State Actors have learned nothing out of our nascent democracy, which presupposes that conduct of such Agents of State should be civil and that Citizens have a right to peaceful assembly and protests.”
Leman noted that, “The Media have reported that as at the time Comrade Ajero was being brutalised on Wednesday, November 1,2023 , one person was feared dead as miscreants descended on protesters, smashing vehicles, inflicting injuries and dispossessing handsets from labour members that had gathered at the NLC State secretariat.”
The statement recalled that, “The NLC President alongside other members of the Central Working Committee, CWC, were at the State Secretariat in Owerri to begin the planned strike action against the State Government’s insensitivity to the plight of workers in the State.”
The NUJ said, “Over the years, ordinary Nigerians have always found succour in the struggles of the NLC for a better stake for workers and other poor citizens in the Nigerian State which is skewered in favour of the elite.
“It is in appreciation of this perseverance, strength of character and invaluable contributions to the development of the nation and democracy in the country by Labour that we find the entire saga out of tune with reasonable conduct and in bad taste.
“The Imo State Government should be held responsible for any untoward thing that happened to Comrade Ajero or any official of the NLC as a result of this development.
“We condemn this dangerous development in its entirety and call for proper investigation and punishment for the perpetrators.”
