By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri
Philip Nwansi, the Imo state chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has said that the on going strike action instituted in the state by the national leadership of NLC, would be resisted not only by the members of the numerous labour unions in the state but the entire Imo people.
The chairman who is also the Imo state chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, in a press conference on Wednesday, in Owerri, the Imo state capital, advised the national leadership of NLC to better call off the strike as, according to him, Imo workers under his leadership would be unwilling to down tools.
This, he said was because the workers in Imo state are enjoying a robust industrial harmony with the Governor and government of Imo state and as such, there was no need for a strike action.
Hear him, “for your records, Governor Hope Uzodinma is not owing any salary arrears. The Governor, in his magnanimity, had earlier directed that the few workers who deliberately refused to participate in the verification exercise, be paid their salaries.
“Similarly, the Governor has paid 90% of pensioners in the state. This is according to the state Chairman of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP.
“The Governor has set all machinery in motion to commence the payment of gratuities to the retirees way back from 2007. This is no mean feat, no government in the Southeast has done it.
“The Organized Labour in Imo state has been engaging the government in robust discussions and the results of the engagements were the litany of achievements listed here.
“The only issue we have in Imo NLC is the botched election of the new leadership of the union which was declared inconclusive. But then, it was an NLC affair, not that of TUC. What the NLC should have done was to fix a date to conduct a fresh election.
“The NLC President recently summoned all the parties connected with the election at his Abuja office but failed to implement the decisions reached at the meeting. Instead, he insisted that he must force Imo workers to accept his brother and schoolmate, George Ofoegbu, as NLC chairman in Imo state. Imo workers are yet to come to terms with the NLC President, Joe Ajaero.
“It is important also to point out that a leader must be respected as enshrined in the Holy Bible, but the way and manner the NLC President and his Secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Ogbuaja, abuse leaders, especially our Governor, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma, calls for concern.
“It is on this note that we call on the National leaders of NLC to jettison the proposed strike action in Imo as Organised Labour has agreed not to be part of it.”
Some of the signatories to the state NLC resolutions were Comrade Basil Iwu, the state chairman of JNC, Comrade Uche Chigaemezu Nwigwe,the state Chairman of NCSU, Comrade Ifeanyi Nwanguma, the Imo state Chairman of NUJ, Comrade Chief Marcus Opara, the state chairman of SEWUN, Comrade Augustine Onwuegbuchulem, the state chairman of RATTAWU, Comrade Pastor Eze Richard, the state chairman of NULGE, Comrade Prince Evans Reward, the state chairman of NUPENG, Comrade Mrs. Nnani Ngozi, the state chairman of NUHPSW among others.
