By Cross Udo, Abuja
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to quickly direct the relevant agencies to fish out those behind the brutalisation of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, for possible prosecution.
ASUP also condemned the involvement of the Imo State government and the state Police Command in the dastardly act.
This came as Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State yesterday accused the brutalised President of the NLC, Ajaero, of politicising labour activities in the state.
But the union in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi Yalwa, yesterday said it was solidly behind the NLC President and was awaiting further directives from the organs of the NLC on the matter.
The statement read, “Our Union has been closely monitoring reports from Imo State as it affects the planned protest by the leaderships of the NLC and TUC over the conditions of Imo workers in Imo State.
“Our Union is aware that the protest, which is a legitimate and globally recognized instrument of expression in civilized climes had the endorsement of the appropriate organs of the NLC and took its roots in the serial violations of outcomes of a series of engagements between the Imo State Government and Organised Labour.
“It is therefore shocking to read reports of attacks and brutalization of unarmed workers and the leadership of the NLC to the extent of causing bodily harm to our protesting comrades who were only expressing their constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of association and expression.
“These fundamental rights are the anchors of democracy globally and Imo State and Nigeria cannot be an exception. It is equally ironic that Imo State is one of the states involved in the off-cycle governorship elections in the country scheduled for 11th of November, 2023.
“It is depressing to read reports of the active involvement of functionaries of the state government as well as reports of the complicity of the Imo State command of the Nigeria Police in this show of shame.
“This indeed marks a new low in industrial relations in the country and is reminiscent of the years of totalitarianism during different regimes of military dictatorship in the country.
“ASUP Nigeria therefore condemns the resort to hooliganism, and deployment of brute force as instruments of trade dispute resolution in Imo State. We equally condemn the reported roles of complicity by the Nigeria Police who have failed to provide the needed protection to protesting workers and property of the organized labour in the state.”
It further said, “We demand the swift intervention of the President of the country in this regard, identification and prosecution of the persons involved and a purposeful resolution of the issues in dispute between Imo workers and the state government.
“We are in undeniable solidarity with the President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and other workers who were victims of the attack by the hooligans and Imo workers for the trauma which they have been subjected to by the events of 1st of November, 2023. ASUP Nigeria shall be awaiting further directives from the organs of the NLC on this matter.”
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*Uzodimma accuses Ajaero of politicising Labour activities in Imo
Meanwhile, Governor Uzodimma has accused Ajaero of politicising labour activities in Imo State.
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.
Recall that thugs suspected to have been hired by the Imo State government and the State Police Command descended on 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.
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.
He said he has been paying salaries regularly, since he assumed office, on January 15, 2020.
He challenged Imo civil servants being owed salary arrears in the state, to come out openly and say so.
On the allegations that he was owing 40 salary arrears, the Imo Governor said, “I think it is a very good opportunity for me to clear the air on the so-called allegations.
“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. The situation is that before this time, I thought that the trade 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 and I challenged any Imo State civil servants to come out and say that between 2020 January 15th till date, that he has not received salary in any of the months.
“What has happened in this ugly incident is 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.”
Reminded that the workers were accusing him of reneging on the January 2021 agreement aside from the backlog of salaries and this might impact his re-election, Uzodimma said, “Well, I still repeat, there’s no worker in Imo State.
“Recall I came in January 2020 and by March, I started paying minimum wage of N30,000 that had been lying there, that previous leadership couldn’t pay. By December 2020 I paid the 13th month, the first time in the history of Imp State civil service and I have maintained continuously this 13th month payment as an incentive.
“I automated the payment system. Salaries are now received in an automated manner in Imo State. I brought innovations, I reformed the civil service. No wonder in the civil service the entire Labour Congress of Imo State chapter endorsed me and I am the only candidate they are supporting in the election.
“The Nigerian Union of Pensioners endorsed me, but from 2007 to 2020, no civil servants in Imo State received gratuity. It is only my government that has now floated bonds to pay outstanding gratuities to civil servants.
“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.
“And that they are not coming to do any strike or protests. In the process, they decided to resolve them to put in a caretaker.
“Of course, I am the chief security officer and I have the responsibility to intervene. I encouraged the national leadership not to devolve the management team that their tenure have not expired and that was what they did.
“I don’t interfere in Labour matters but I have convinced my workers in Imo State to believe in me and is that trust that the opposition parties are trying to fight. But I can assure you that the Imo people already have taken their decision. 11th November is by the corner.”
Uzodimma added that having campaigned vigorously, APC is the party to beat in the three states of Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa.
“We are here and we have received are flags, I am trying to run back to Imo States to continue with campaigns and so are the candidates for Bayelsa and Kogi states.”
*PDP backdoor tactics to win election won’t work this time in Bayelsa– Sylva
Also speaking, Sylva, who was responding to a question quoting the Governor of Bayelsa as saying he was wasting his time and wouldn’t win, said, “Yes, I am running against an incumbent governor but you will agree with me that this incumbent governor is one that came in through the back door. He didn’t win an election to get there.
“The problem in Bayelsa is like that of a dog that has tasted blood. They’ve come once behind through the back door so it has now become something they want to do all the time, they want to come through the back door.
“What does that signify? It signifies fear, they are afraid of the elections because as a government they have performed poorly and the only way they think they can stay in office is to come through the legal door, through which they came the last time. But I can assure you that time they will not succeed.
“They tried it this past week and you saw it, it was a case of a meddlesome interloper, who had gone to court. Somebody we had to part in the contest, whose membership of APC was even questioned, taking me to court. And of course, you can see that was just part of the plan they had.
“But that has not deterred us at all, we did not stop campaigning, we decided to continue with our village-to-village campaign, house-to-house campaign. Also today, even the PDP is aware that in a fair contest, they can never win that election. So if they brag on TV that they are going to win, they know they can never win this election.
“If you go back to 2015, the APC won that election. They had to cancel the result of Southern Ijaw and order a re-run and of course, we all know what happened for the PDP to win. In 2019, the APC won nobody could even challenge that victory, they went to court and challenged the credentials of a serving senator who was now our deputy-governor elect and they annulled the results based on that.
“That serving senator served out his term and nobody challenged it. So his credentials were good enough to serve as a senator but not good enough to serve as a deputy governor. So this time they have come up with the same strategy going through the courts. But I can assure you that this time around we are going to win and this time we are going to keep this victory.”
*Kogi: Akpoti-Uduaghan’s victory won’t stop APC on Nov 11, says Ododo
Also on his part, Ododo, who was responding to a question that his chances of victory on November 11 were now slim following the victory of the senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, he said it does not have any effect on the gubernatorial election.
Reacting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Kogi governorship election, Dino Melaye that his party would replicate the victory of Akpoti-Uduaghan in the November 11 election, Ododo said he was saying that out of fear.
He said, “Well, going by your question, the victory of Natasha does not in any way affect Kogi’s gubernatorial election come November 11, 2023. I think what he was saying was just the fear of defeat.
“I want to let you know I was born and brought up in Kogi State. I schooled in Kogi State, I have been in the service of Kogi State for over 7 years as auditor-general for local government which brought me into close and direct contact with the people at the grassroots and financial level for development.
“As I am talking to you, APC in Kogi State doesn’t have any opposition. They are no match: What we are waiting for is the day for us to announce our victory, they know that.”
