BY EDMOND ODOK – Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma has warned the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero to stop dabbling into local politics in the State and face his duties of effectively steering the ship of the Labour Movement in the country.
Accusing Ajaero of not separating his political interest in Imo state from his role as National Labour leader, Governor Uzodinma said by his position, the NLC President should expectedly demonstrate non-partisanship in carrying out the responsibilities of his office.
The Governor, who was reacting to the battering of Comrade Ajaero by alleged political thugs in Owerri, the Imo State capital on Monday, told State House correspondents in Abuja that; “What has happened in this ugly coincidence is that the National President of the NLC 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 would manage the situation.”
On allegations of non-payment of workers’ salaries, Governor Uzodinma, who was at the Presidential Villa to receive the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag as its candidate in the Imo state governorship election scheduled for Saturday, November 11, 2023, denied owing any salary of workers since mounting the saddle as governor in 2020,
He said since emerging as governor, the State government has not failed to meet its responsibilities in terms of regular salary payments to the workers, adding; “I think it is a very good opportunity for me to clear these so-called allegations. I came to Imo State as the governor on January 15, 2020.
“From 2020 January till date, there has been no month we did not pay our salary before the 30th. But the situation was not the same before this time. Also, I had thought the Labour Union is a democratic entity that should allow and accommodate 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 to say that between 2020 January 5 and till date he/she did not receive a salary in any of the months.”
Governor Uzodinma further stated that his administration has made a whole lot of difference in terms of regular and enhanced salaries to workers on the State government’s payroll, adding that besides implementing the N30,000 minimum wage which his predecessor could not pay, he approved the payment of the 13th month in December 2020 for the first time in the history of the state.
Also boasting of landmark reforms in the State civil service, Governor Uzodinma said by keeping faith with regular salary payments among other incentives for the Imo workforce, the State chapter of the NLC has endorsed him as the only candidate in the forthcoming November 11 gubernatorial poll.
