Uzodimma accuses Ajaero of blackmail over Imo workers salary

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has accused the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, of being hell-bent on blackmailing him over “non-payment” of state workers salary.

This was, as he alleged, an attempt to blackmail his government over non-payment of salaries, The governor however insisted he has paid all the state workers their due wages.

The Imo governor stated this when he addressed State House correspondents after receiving the All Progressives Congress’ flag from President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

“What has happened in this ugly coincidence is that the National President of the 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,” Uzodimma said.

The labour body had last Wednesday kicked as its President, Ajaero, was brutalized and subsequently arrested by the police in Owerri, Imo State.

Ajaero was in the state to mobilise NLC members for a total strike in Imo starting from 1st October, 2023.
At a press briefing last Sunday, the NLC President 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.
The Head of Information of the NLC, Benson Upah, who confirmed the arrest noted that Ajaero was picked up at the state secretariat of the NLC and taken to an unknown location.

Uzodimma however said he stopped the NLC’s national leadership from dissolving the Imo State chapter of the Congress, stated preseason to include, “I understand the sensitivity of this event (protest). But I want you people to be careful because there is an attempt to mix up partisan politics or an attempt to blackmail my government.

“I can tell you that my people are already aware; 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 embark on any strike or protest.

“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 encourage the national leadership not to dissolve a management team that their tenure has not expired, and that was what they did.”

The governor, who said he does not interfere in labour matters, said he has convinced Imo State to believe in him, and that the opposition parties are fighting hard against the trust on him