Labour Tackles Uzodimma, Gov Says Ajaero Meddling in Politics

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and sister unions has vowed to take action against the Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, following the brutalisation of NLC President, Joe Ajaero, in Owerri, the Imo State capital on Wednesday.

You will recall that Governor Uzodimma, while reacting to the crisis on Thursday, accused the NLC President, who is an indigene of Imo State, of meddling in the state’s politics.

Uzodimma said Ajaero must learn to draw a line between his role as a labour leader and being a partisan Imo State indigene.

The governor accused the leader of trying to blackmail his government over non-payment of salaries, insisting that all Imo workers have been paid their due wages.

Youw ill recall that Ajaero was brutalised by policemen in Owerri, the Imo State capital on Wednesday when he went to mobilise workers for a strike.

The NLC president had, during a press briefing on Sunday, 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  strike.

The Head of Information of the NLC, Benson Upah, said Ajaero was picked up at the state secretariat of the NLC in Owerri and taken to an unknown location, after which he reappeared hours later, brutalised.

The NLC accused the state government of masterminding the attack on Ajaero, who was injured and hospitalised.

The governor, who said he does not interfere with labour matters, noted that he has convinced his “workers in Imo State to believe in me, and that trust is what opposition parties are trying to fight.”