By Ben Ugorji, Owerri
The Managing Director of the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Commission (ISOPADEC), Chief Charles Orie has reportedly escaped being mobbed by angry protesters when his staff shut down the secretariat on Tuesday over unpaid salary arrears.
247ureports gathered that the protesting staff barricaded the commission and denied the MD access to his office after threatening to beat him.
They were demanding for their several salary arrears and accused the Hope Uzodinma-led government of suffocating them to death.
They displayed placards with various inscriptions such as, ‘govt should pay us our many months salary arrears’, ‘govt is suffocating us to death,’ ‘no salary, no work.”
The leader of the delegation who spoke to journalists, said that the staff had had their worst times since the creation of the commission in 2006.
According to him, “Governor Uzodinma’s government has been insensitive to the plight of ISOPADEC workers. The leaders from the two oil-producing communities of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta LGAs, are the worst because they have all sold their conscience.
“No single project done in our area for one year down the line.
“Our salaries have been slashed by 80% yet, the government still refused to pay us.
“The monthly youth and women subvention had been stopped by the the present government.
“The monthly subvention for the traditional rulers of the two communities has also been stopped including payment of electricity bill for the two areas.
“We are tired of keeping silent. We will not die in silence. The Governor should pay us our salary arrears or we embark on a mother of all protest,” he said.
Meanwhile, reports had it that the Managing Director of the commission, Charles Orie allegedly escaped being mobbed by the angry protesters who accused him of taking no action towards proffering solution to their problems.
