Governor Uzodinma sacks commissioner

The Governor of Imo State Hope Uzodinma has approved the immediate removal of Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, Ford Ozumba, but as at the time of filing this report it was not clear why the commissioner was removed

Penpushing reports that the removal of Ozumba was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba in Owerri, the state capital, and directed to handover to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry with immediate effect.

The source from government quarters however, had it that maybe in connection with the workers’ strike in the state, but this insinuation could not be established as at the time the announcement was made.

Penpushing further reports that it is recalled that workers in the state, under the auspices of the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC), on 8 March 2023, embarked on an indefinite strike over alleged interference of the Imo State Government in the election of new state executives of the union.

The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, accused the Imo government of using armed thugs and personnel of the Nigeria Police Force to disrupt the conduct of the union elections in the state.

Penpushing also reports that Ajaero alleged that the Imo State Government sought to influence the outcome of the elections in the state by offering gratifications to the delegates to vote for their chosen candidates.

The President explained that this meddlesomeness was resisted by the delegates who refused the unholy offerings and baits to vote for their chosen candidates, claiming that the state government was enraged by the delegates’ rejection of their offerings and resorted to violence ostensibly to disrupt the exercise.

Penpushing reports that the spokesperson to Governor Uzodinma, Oguike Nwachukwu, when contacted refuted the allegations, describing it as nonsense without details, stressing that there was no such violence against the labour members in the state.

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