By Christiana Ekpa
Chairman of Labour Party (LP) in Cross River State, Ambassador Ogar Osim, has stated that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) are attempting to scuttle and destabilise the party in the state.
He dismissed the reported vote of no confidence against him passed by the organised labour union Thursday afternoon, saying the people behind it were sponsored.
Organised labour held a news conference Thursday to denounce Ogar Osim’s leadership, saying he hoards information about political processes towards electing party candidates and runs the party unilaterally.
A release signed by Comrades Godwin Amoikwen, NLC chairman, and Ken Bassey of Trade Union Congress TUC in the state said, “the Organized Labour hereby passes a vote of no confidence, on Ambassador Ogar Osim, the interim state chairman of the Labour Party”.
Osim addressed members of the NUJ Correspondents Chapel in the state when he paid a visit to the chapel today.
He maintained that both NLC and TUC were presenting themselves as instruments to fight LP in the state whereas both were merely to help mobilise workers to join the party.
He said they should be called to order, adding that he would formally write to his national headquarters of LP about their activities.
The LP chairman alleged that the organised Labour were attempting to foist a governorship candidate on the party, warning that the party shall resist such selfish attempt.
“I want to state categorically that they cannot impose any candidate on the Labour Party, their vote of no confidence, is laughable.
“They are being sponsored by groups who feel threatened by what we are doing in the state.
“They are deceiving unsuspecting people that they are the owners of Labour Party and have the power to conduct primaries at illegal venues and schedules.
“They are merely to mobilise their workers to support the party. That’s why we have a representative of the NLC at Labour Party headquarters as Director of Labour. But in Cross River, they want to dictate what happens.”
According to him, they foisted one Ernest Jones as governorship candidate of the party because he gave them an open cheque of N1.5 million, as against N5 million naira which is the amount for Labour Party governorship form. They now want me to adopt, to justify their illegal actions. He is on an illegal candidate list.”
Osim disclosed that they have properly conducted primaries and submitted names which are published at INEC headquarters for the public to see.
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