Imo denies anti-labour allegations

• Tribunal sacks lawmaker over certificate forgery, perjury
• Orders his prosecution

The Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, has denied the allegation made by the National Secretary of the National Labour Congress (NLC), Dr. Peter Ozo- Esom, accusing him of using the police to ‘chase away, brutalise and teargas workers of the concessioned parastatals.

The denial came just as the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Owerri, Wednesday nullified the election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) member representing Ideato South in the Imo State House of Assembly, Ikechukwu Amuka over alleged certificate forgery.

Chief Press Secretary to Okorocha, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, in a statement yesterday challenged the NLC scribe ‘to prove his case or be guilty of blackmail.’

Okorocha said there was no need for his government to use force or engage the police to implement the concession programme, especially as the concessioning only had to do with management of the parastatals. The statement noted that the action of the state government to concession the operations was sequel to the alleged inability of the parastatals to generate the required revenue and service to sustain them.

Okorocha maintained that the parastatals had remained a ‘parasite on the lean financial resources of the state government.’ He maintained that the resolve of the state government had been that the workers in the affected parastatals would be paid off or posted to other ministries and agencies so as to inject fresh ideas needed to actualise the objectives of their establishment.

All over the world, labour unions are ‘progressive and not retrogressive,’ he said, adding, “The NLC cannot dictate for the Imo State Government on such matters.”

Meanwhile, an Owerri Tribunal sacked an APC lawmaker in Imo State House of Assembly over forgery and perjury

In a three-hour judgment delivered by Justice P. Idong, the tribunal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue the petitioner and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the April election, Mrs. Nkechinyere Ugwu, with Certificate of Return to be sworn in by the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly.

Idong held that the tribunal was convinced that Amuka presented to the INEC, the West African Examination Certificate (WAEC) of one Kevin Amuka, whose photograph was attached, stating that the said Kevin attended Peter Claver Seminary, Opkala.

He noted that the subjects claimed to have been written by the lawmaker were doubtful, stressing that the respondent could not defend it.

Idong, on the three man panel, ordered that Amuka’s votes be declared null and void, while Ugwu’s 3,392 be validated as wining votes.

Rejoicing after the declaration, Ugwu hailed the tribunal, saying her case was likened to that of the Biblical David and Goliath.