Labour protest in Imo turns sour as thugs invade rally ground, police arrest NLC leader, Ajaero

Planned protest by workers in Imo State to register their grievances over alleged poor working conditions perpetrated by the State Government, turned sour as thugs invaded the rally ground beating up protesters.

This is also as the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Joe Ajaero, an indigene of the state was arrested by the police at the rally ground.

The NLC had called out workers to protest on Wednesday, November 1 over what it termed; ‘persistent and egregious violations of the rights and privileges of workers in Imo State by the State Government.’

“NLC was deeply concerned about the persistent and egregious violations of the rights and privileges of workers in Imo State by the State Government.

“Despite our repeated efforts to engage in constructive dialogue and reach amicable agreements, the Imo State Government has become a habitual and serial breaker of these agreements, continuing to trample on the rights of workers in the state.

“As a result, we are left with no choice but to embark on mass protests and industrial actions beginning on the 1st day of November, 2023.

“This is to demonstrate our outrage and stop the continuing violation of the rights and privileges of workers in the state,” the NLC President, Ajaero said ahead of the protest.

However, the rally had barely kicked off on Wednesday when miscreants, suspected to be political thugs, stormed the venue in Owerri, the state capital and proceeded to attack protesters.

The miscreants descended on protesters, smashing vehicles and inflicting body injuries on NLC members at the protest ground.

In the chaos, the operatives of the Imo State Police Command whisked away the NLC leader, even as his whereabouts is remains unknown as heavily armed security personnel took him away.

It is not clear the motive for the arrest of the labour leader, whether it was for his own safety from attacks by the thugs or to end the protests against the state government.

The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma faces re-election worries with barely two weeks to the November 11 governorship election to be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The governor is facing serious challenge from the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Nathan Achonu, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) opponent, Sam Anyanwu.

This is also as the Supreme Court had shifted its decision on date to rule on a suit from the earlier October 31 to December 5, this year, which could effectively end Uzodimm’s reelection aspiration and remove him from office

Rights advocacy group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) had earlier berated the Supreme Court’s decision to postpone the earlier listed October 31, 2023 date scheduled for hearing of two pending appeals challenging the validity of Governor Hope Uzodimma’s governorship in Imo State. It would be recalled that the Supreme Court had earlier fixed October 31as the date for hearing the appeals, with the apex court not giving any reason for the shift.

HURIWA, in a press statement issued, accused some forces from Imo State of using undue influence and financial inducements to scuttle the October 31 hearing date. The civil rights group alleged that significant amounts of money in dollar denominated notes exchanged hands to manipulate the process, with the apparent aim of delaying the hearing until after the November 11, 2023, gubernatorial poll in Imo State, which would render the entire process meaningless.

It would also be recalled that the Supreme Court judgement on January 14, 2020 had sacked Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as governor of Imo State and affirmed Uzodinma as winner of the March 2019 election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Ihedioha winner of the election, but Uzodinma, who came fourth in the election, challenged the outcome of the exercise in court.

INEC results had indicated that Ihedioha, who ran under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured 273,404 votes in the election; Uche Nwosu of Action Alliance (AA) had 190,364 votes; Ifeanyi Ararume of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) polled 114,676 votes while Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured 96,458 votes.

However, in a unanimous decision, a seven-man panel of Supreme Court Justices ruled that Ihedioha did not win majority of votes cast in the election and ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to the then governor and instead give a fresh one Uzodinma.

While Supreme Court dismissed earlier appeal by Ihedioha that it lacked powers to sit on appeal in its own judgment, there is a similar action before the apex court filed by the AA candidate, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, slated for Tuesday, October 31, 2023.

A group of lawyers and activists led by Comrade Barr. Maxwel said the current move to change the date was to avoid the consequences that awaits the Governor Uzodinma if the “erroneous judgement” is corrected before November 11 as he will be striped of state apparatus to manipulate the November 11 election in his favour or stay in power.