The deputy governor of Imo State ,
Prince Eze Madumere was yesterday booed
by the workers of the Imo Transport Company, ITC, following the demonstration
and strike over the seven months unpaid salaries by the management of the
company and the state government.
This came less than three day after workers of the Imo Broadcasting Corporation, IBC, had shut radio and television services over unpaid seven months minimum wage arrears owed them by the state government.
Madumere had gone to the MCC Road where the
workers had blocked the gates of the company with trips of sand and unused
vehicles to persuade the about 700 workers to stop their demonstrations which
had blocked the roads.
But, rather than listen to
the deputy governor, the workers made no mistake in ceaselessly booing him,
saying unprintable things about the governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and his
APC government.
They attempted to pelt him
and his entourage with sachet (pure) water when his security details whisked
him away.
In their protest, the workers
had blocked the major road leading to the company and placed two caskets
bearing the APC insignia and flags in front of the shut gates.
The workers later opened the
road for commuters with a condition that every motorist with APC insignia must
drop it on the road to be run over by others.
They also bore placards with
several inscriptions depicting their grievances thus: “pay us our seven months
salary or let Emeka Duru and his Global Ginikana go, Enough is enough”, “my
people my people, Owelle, are we not your people also”, “pay us our three years
leave, pension allowances and gratuity”, etc.
The workers accused the state
government of trading with the staff welfare and caring less about their
plight.
Speaking with journalists,
the chairman of the workers union, Comrade Emeka Okoro said they were
protesting the seven months unpaid salaries owed them by the management of the
ITC including non-payment of three years leave, pension allowances and
gratuity.
He said accused the
government of selling the ITC to an incompetent company which was not bordered
about the welfare of the workers despite the billions of naira they make from
it on daily.
Okoro vowed that the company
would remain under lock and key pending when the arrears of salaries and
allowances were cleared.
Also speaking, the senior
maintenance manager of the company, Mr. Lawrence Onyekachi accused the
management of the company of witch hunting any staff who complained of the
maltreatment in the ITC.
He said he had worked in the
company for over 23 years and that the present administration by its actions
wanted them to burn down the company, but they had maintained restraints.
The workers said the since
2011, many of them had lost their respect in their families because they could
no longer provide for their families.
