Imo Guber: Uzodinma accuses NLC President, Ajaero of promoting partisan interest

By Egena Sunday Ode

Governor Hope Uzodinma has alleged that the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, has not been able to separate his role as mational labour leader from his political interest in Imo state.
The governor made this allegation on Thursday at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja after receiving the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag as its flag bearer in the Imo state governorship election scheduled for November 11.
Recall that Ajaero was on Monday reportedly picked up by the police in Owerri, the Imo state capital during a protest by a section of the workers over allegations of non salary payment by the governor.
But fielding questions from newsmen at the Presidential Villa, Governor Uzodinma denied owing any salary of workers since he mounted the saddle as governor in 2020.
He said the reverse was the case before his emergence as governor of the state.
His words: “I think is a very good opportunity for me to clear this so called allegations. I came to Imo State as the governor January 15, 2020 from 2020 January till date, there is no month we did not pay salary before 30th. But the situation is that, before this time, I thought that the labour 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 challenge any Imo State civil servant to come up to say that between 2020 January 5 till date that he/she did not recieve salary in any of the months.
“What has happened in this ugly coincidence is that the national president of the 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 then an interested party in local politics. But God would manage the situation.”
Speaking further on how his administration has made the difference in terms of regular and enhanced salaries to workers in the payroll of the state government, Uzodinma narrated that apart from implementing the N30000 minimum wage whis his predecessor was unable to pay, he approved the payment of of 13th month in December 2020 for the first time in the history of the state.
The governor said his landmark reforms in the civil service, aside from keeping faith with regular payment of salaries had made the state chapter of the NLC to endorse him as the only candidate in the coming election.