The governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, has dismissed claims by the national leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, that he owes workers salaries.
Mr Uzodinma, who dismissed the claim during an interview with Channels TV on Thursday, instead said the workers are very happy with him.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that on Wednesday, aviation unions had directed their workers to withdraw services to all Owerri flights from all airports in the country and also declare the governor persona non grata.
The unions said their decision was owing to the alleged assault on NLC president Joe Ajaero by sponsored thugs and security agencies in the state
But the state government and police denied the allegations.
However, Mr Uzodinma said instead of Mr Ajaero to focus on his duty in Abuja, he is interested in how the Labour Party would produce a governor in Imo.
He noted that Mr Ajaero was going about achieving that in the wrong way.
“There is no feud between Imo state and organised labour. There is an attempt to factionalize organised labour in Imo state.
“The government has no link with what is happening there,” Mr Uzodinma said.
“But there’s an ugly coincidence, which naturally should have been a thing of joy, that the Imo State government produced the president of the NLC.
“That is supposed to be an advantage but somehow it is becoming a disadvantage.
“Because the president of NLC left the job he is supposed to do in Abuja, he is interested in how the Labour Party would produce a governor in Imo, and he’s doing it the wrong way.
“And the Labour in Imo said: ‘no, we like what our governor is doing; we are not quarrelling with our governor’.
“I challenge Joe Ajaero: if there are people that the government is owing salary, he should publish their names.
“I preside over a sub-national government. I’m not controlled by the leadership of NLC in Abuja. The workers who are my workers here are happy with me.
“They have passed a vote of confidence in me; they have endorsed me. Every day, they are campaigning for me to be reelected. Why should I have a problem with such a group?”
Mr Uzodinma also said the allegation that he is intimidating other political parties in the state is untrue.
He said, “Everybody who knows me know that I am a very humble person. I am God-fearing; I am a Christian. So, how will I change overnight at this age?” he asked.
“Rather, all I need is for my people to come together, let us build the only state we can call our own — Imo state. No one man can do it alone. I need the contribution of everybody.
“So, I don’t think that I’m given to intimidation. I am 24 hours busy in the office. Since I assumed office, I’ve only travelled outside the office twice for medical reasons. Just for medical check up.
“I work from morning till night. What I want to hear; what makes me happy is to see that the roads are good, that my people are happy. I derive my happiness from the happiness of my people.
“All those allegations are based on falsehood, all those blackmails, I don’t want to be distracted by that. But at the end of the day, history will vindicate me.”
