The Labour Party (LP) in Imo state, on Thursday described the arrest and brutalization of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, as an act of wickedness.
The Imo state chairman of LP, Calistus Ihejiagwa, stated this to newsmen in Owerri while condemning the arrest of Ajaero in Imo state by state actors involving the security operatives and government agents on Wednesday, during strike action.
According to LP, “It is this wickedness that the organised labour NLC and TUC) led by its leaders, Comrade Joe Ajaero and Comrade Nuhu Toro, NLC President and TUC Secretary General respectively decided to protest against by declaring an occupy Imo State to get the attention of the deaf and oppressive government.
“Sadly, instead of attending to the Imo workers’ plights and genuine grievances, Uzodinma let loose his thugs on the helpless workers and brutalised many of them, including the President of the NLC and many national, zonal and state officials of both NLC and TUC, as well as destroying their vehicles.
“Following outcry and threat by the entire national organised labour to declare immediate strike, the police came up with a lame excuse that it only took Comrade Joe Ajaero into protective custody.”
“It is laughable to hear the government talk about a court order. One begins to wonder when Hope Uzodinma began to recognise court orders because despite becoming a governor through a curious court order, he has never obeyed any court order since he became governor. So, one may ask him what had changed.
“We in the Labour Party, join Imolites of good will to condemn the turning of Imo State into a police state since the inception of the Hope Uzodinma administration. Several Imolites have lost their lives in bloody attacks, which the governor hopes Uzodinma has refused to tackle or is incapable of tackling,” LP said.
Uzodimma accuses Ajaero of politicising Labour activities
Meanwhile, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State on Thursday accused the brutalized President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero of politicising labour activities in the state.
Governor Uzodimma made the allegation while fielding questions from State House correspondents, after joining the candidates of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in Kogi, Usman Ododo and Bayelsa, Timipre Sylva to receive his gubernatorial flag from President Bola Tinubu, ahead of the November 11 gubernatorial elections.
ValidViewNetwork had reported that the NLC president who led other members of the Central Working Committee, CWC, to a protest in Imo State over the alleged unfriendly treatment of workers in the state was beaten up.
But Governor Uzodimma accused the labour leader of not differentiating between labour issues and his interest in local politics of the state.
He debunked the allegation that he was owing salaries for 40 months, insisting that his administration is up-to-date on salary payments in the State.
