Imo Labour crisis: Uzodinma accuses Ajaero of mixing labour matters with partisan politics 

He made the clarification while speaking with newsmen at the State House, Abuja, after receiving the flag of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as the governorship candidate of the party in the November 11 election from President Bola Tinubu, alongside Timipre Sylva and Usman Ododo, candidates of the party in Bayelsa and Kogi states, respectively.

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Clearing the air on why why Ajaero was attacked in the state, the governor said: “I wanted you people to be very careful because there is an attempt to mix up partisan politics or an attempt to blackmail my government but I can tell you that my people are already aware of that.

“That was why the NLC Imo State chapter addressed a World Press Conference that what their national leadership is doing is not correct and that they are not going to do any strike or protests and in the process, they decided to dissolve them to put in a caretaker.

“Of course, I’m the Chief Security Officer and I have a responsibility to intervene. I encouraged the national leadership not to dissolve a management team that their tenure has not expired and that was what they did.

“I don’t interfere with Labour matters but I have convinced my workers in Imo State to believe in me and that trust is what opposition parties are trying to fight. But I can assure you that Imo people already have taken that decision. 11th November is by the corner. Come and observe the election,” he said.

He also debunked the allegations that he was owing 40 months in salary arrears.

“I think it is a very good opportunity for me to clear the air on the so-called allegations.

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“When I came into Imo State, as the governor on January 15, 2020, from 2020 January till date, there’s no month we have not paid salary before 30th. The situation is that before this time, I thought that the trade union is a democratic entity that allows the opinion of people.

“I don’t pay federal civil servants; I only pay Imo State civil servants and I challenged any Imo State civil servant to come out and say that between 2020 January 15 till date, that he has not received salary in any of the month.

“What has happened in this ugly incident that the National President of Nigeria Labour Congress 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 will manage the situation.”

On whether the allegation of reneging on the January 2021 agreement apart from the backlog of salaries would affect his re-election, he replied: “Well, I still repeat, there’s no worker in Imo State…recall I came in January 2020 and by March, I started paying minimum wage of N30,000 that had been lying there, that previous leadership couldn’t pay. By December 2020 I paid 13th month, the first time on the history of Imo State Civil Service and I have maintained continuously this 13th month payment as an incentive.

“I automated the payment system. Salaries are now received in an automated manner in Imo State. I brought new innovations, I reformed the civil service. No wonder in the civil service the entire Labour Congress of Imo State chapter endorsed me and I am the only candidate they are supporting in the election. The Nigerian Union of Pensioners endorsed me. From 2007 to 2020, no civil servants in Imo State received gratuity. It is only my government that has now floated bond to pay outstanding gratuities to civil servants.

“So, I understand the sensitivity of this event but I want you people to be very careful because there’s an attempt to mix up partisan politics or an attempt to blackmail my government.