Governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodimma has accused the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, of interfering in the state’s politics.
Gatekeepers News reports that Ajaero, during a press briefing earlier in the week, had accused the Imo State government of “violating the rights of the Nigerian workers in the state,” and therefore vowed to mobilise members of the union in the state for a total strike.
Furthermore, the NLC also accused Uzodimma, of conspiring with the state’s Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Barde, to “abduct” their president during the protest.
In reaction, the Imo state government, said the presence of Ajaero, in Owerri, the state capital, to lead a protest was in defiance of a court order.
Gatekeepers News reported that Ajaero was arrested by men of the Imo State Police Command while leading a protest in the state on Wednesday.
The state police command released a statement saying they didn’t arrest the NLC President but only rescued him from being lynched by a mob during the protest
The police said the NLC president had a heated argument with some individuals who resisted the picketing of the airport in Imo and was rushed to the medical centre after they rescued him.
However, Ajaero claimed he was taken and beaten up after his arrest before being rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri.
Uzodimma who spoke after receiving the All Progressives Congress’ flag from President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Thursday, November 2, said that he has been paying salaries regularly since he assumed office in January 2020, adding his administration does not owe any state worker.
Uzodinma accused the leadership of the NLC of attempting to blackmail his administration.
“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,” he said.
“The situation is that before this time, I thought that the trade union is a democratic entity that allows the opinion of people.
“I challenge 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 month.
“What has happened in this ugly incident 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.
“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.
“But I can tell you that my people are already aware and that was why the Nigerian Labour Congress Imo State chapter, addressed a world press conference, that what their national leadership is saying is not correct.”
