TheCable

Hope Uzodinma, governor of Imo, says he does not have a feud with the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). 

On Wednesday, aviation unions directed their workers to withdraw services to all Owerri flights from all airports in the country.

The unions said their decision was owing to the mayhem unleashed on workers and the state government’s continued insensitivity to their plight.

The development followed a proposed strike in the state by the leadership of the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC).

Joe Ajaero, NLC president, was reportedly picked up from the Imo council secretariat of the congress in Owerri by heavily armed police officers last week Wednesday.

NLC said Ajaero was beaten and blindfolded immediately after security operatives arrested him.

However, the police command in Imo said Ajaero was not arrested but was taken into protective custody to avoid being lynched by a mob.

Speaking on the issue on Politics Tonight, a Television Continental (TVC) programme on Thursday, Uzodinma said Imo workers are happy with him.

Uzodinma said instead of Ajaero to focus on his duty in Abuja, he is interested in how the Labour Party would produce a governor in Imo.

He noted that Ajaero was going about achieving that in the wrong way.

He also said what could have been an advantage — that the NLC president is from Imo — has become a disadvantage.

“There is no feud between Imo state and organised labour. There is an attempt to factionalise organised labour in Imo state. Government has no link with what is happening there,” Uzodinma said.

“But there’s an ugly coincidence which naturally should have been a thing of joy — that Imo state government produced the president of the NLC.

“That is supposed to be an advantage but somehow it is becoming a disadvantage. Because the president of NLC left the job he is supposed to do in Abuja and he is interested in how Labour Party would produce a governor in Imo and he’s doing it the wrong way.

“And the Labour in Imo said: ‘no, we like what our governor is doing; we are not quarrelling with our governor’.

“I challenge Joe Ajaero if there are people that the government is owing salary, he should publish their names.

“I preside over a sub-national government. I’m not controlled by the leadership of NLC in Abuja. The workers who are my workers here are happy wirh me.

“They have passed vote of confidence in me, they have endorsed me. Everyday, they are campaigning for me to be reelected. Why should I have a problem with such a group?”

‘ALLEGATION OF INTIMIDATION UNTRUE’

Uzodinma also said the allegation that he is intimidating other political parties in the state is untrue.

“Everybody who knows me know that I am a very humble person. I am God-fearing; I am a Christian. So, how will I change overnight at this age?” he asked.

“Rather, all I need is for my people to come together, let us build the only state we can call our own — Imo state. No one man can do it alone. I need the contribution of everybody.

“So, I don’t think that I’m given to intimidation. I am 24 hours busy in the office. Since I assumed office, I’ve only travelled outside the office twice for medical reasons. Just for medical check up.

“I work from morning till night. What I want to hear; what makes me happy is to see that the roads are good, that my people are happy. I derive my happiness from the happiness of my people.

“All those allegations are based on falsehood,  all those blackmails, I don’t want to be distracted by that. But at the end of the day, history will vindicate me.”