The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, has raised alarm over an attempt by some individuals and groups to blackmail his government ahead of the November 11 governorship poll in the state.
Uzodimma made the remarks on Thursday at the Presidential Villa after President Bola Tinubu presented flags to the All Progressives Congress governorship candidates for Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi ahead of the forthcoming elections.
The governor stated this in reaction to the protest staged by members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, in Owerri on Wednesday which led to the brutalization of the union’s President, Joe Ajaero.
Ajaero had alleged that security operatives tortured him after some miscreants hijacked the protest. The workers were protesting unpaid salaries.
While commenting on the incident, Uzodinma argued that the state workers are not owed any outstanding salaries.
On the situation surrounding Joe Ajaero, Uzodinma made it clear that the NLC leader is facing challenges in separating his roles as the national president of the labour union from his engagement as an interested party in the local politics of Imo State.
He said, “From January 2020, there is no month that we failed to pay salaries. Before this time, I thought that the labour union was a democratic entity that allowed the opinion of people. I don’t pay federal civil servants, I only pay Imo State civil servants.
“I challenge any Imo State civil servant to come up and say that he did not receive a salary from January 15, 2020, till date.
“The NLC President is from Imo State. He has not been able to establish the difference between being a leader of an organization and an interested party in local politics.
“I want you people to be very careful because there is an attempt to mix up partisan politics and attempt to blackmail my government.”
