Okorocha’s endless war with labour in Imo

By ANOLU VINCENT, Owerri

WHEN he took over the mantle of leadership in Imo State (aka Eastern Heartland) on May 29, 2011, Governor Rochas Anayo Ethelbert Okorocha did not dilly dally to convince civil servants in the state that he had come to liberate them from their shackles of destitution and want with a package which he christened “Rescue Mission Programme”.

The governor had among other things, introduced a uniform dress code for the workers, implemented a minimum wage of N20,000 which was acclaimed as the first of its kind among the 36 states in the federation and matched this with regular payment of salaries, allowance and gratuities.

This, expectedly emboldened the workers in the performance of their official duties and also smoothened their relationship with the state government.

The enviable relationship had endured till the expiration of the governor’s first tenure at the Douglas House (Government House) Owerri.

However, to all keen observers of the unfolding drama in the state since the Ogboko-Ideato South Local Government Area born business mogul turned politician was inaugurated for the second tenure, there is no gain saying in the fact that the once enviable relationship between father and his children had gone sour.

Trouble began, when few months to the last general elections the governor, for inexplicable reasons defaulted in the traditional uniform payment of workers’ salaries, thus, payment was staggered among the workers with some receiving their salaries first while others were asked to tarry a while.

This, expectedly provoked spontaneous sharp reactions among the workers with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state leading the pack. They condemned the action of the government more so as civil servants working in various ministries and local government Areas were owed salaries for upwards of three months while those in the public sector or parastatals were owned between 5-8 months.
Additionally, teachers engaged by the state government under the “youths must-Work programme” were not paid for close to 10 months, even as those in the state owned Transport Corporation (ITC) were left without salaries for eight months.

Despite persistent pleadings by the governor that the situation was not deliberate and that it was a fall out of the nation’s economic doldrum, the aggrieved workers remained unyielding in their legitimate demand that their salary be paid since a labourer deserves his wages.

While the issue of mounting arrears of workers salaries became a common discourse among residents of the state, the Rescue Mission governor came up with a novelty on payment of salaries through cheque which was denounced by the embattled workers and the curious Imo electorate.

Also local governments council workers and those of the state House of Assembly rejected the idea of payments by cheque.

Again, this resulted in chains of demonstrations and locking up of the Assembly gates in addition to strike by the workers.

To add salt to an injury, the governor at a meeting with heads of parastatals, permanent secretaries and senior civil servants held at the Ahiajoku Convention Center, New Owerri said that he would not pay salaries of workers at the health sector, Agricultural sector and some parastatals because of which he termed as a lingering issues which the state government had with them.

The governor had stubbornly insisted that the effected workers would only get their salaries whenever the issues were resolved even as he informed the workers that he would pay them the same salary structure being paid to their counterparts in other states such as Abia, Enugu.

He sounded it loud and clear that after the clearing of the outstanding salaries of workers in the parastatals, that he would not put in any other government money in the sectors not to talk of paying any worker.
Again, the development attracted wide condemnation from both the public and the leadership of labour during a visit to the governor.

The latter was led by the State chairman, Comrade Austin Chilakpu who argued that it would be unfair for the government to continue to withhold salaries of the workers.

As if this was not enough, the governor again came up with the issue of concession of 28 sectors in the state with the impression, that the parastatals were mere conduct pipes to siphon the state’s meager resources.

This, indeed was the last straw that broke the camels back as it ignited strong controversy in the state.

It also precipitated national criticism and condemnations from the people as the people of the state interpreted the approach of the governor on the concession as a step to prune down the work force especially those in the parastatals.

Curiously, the governor while addressing newsmen shortly on arrival from Turkey insisted that he would not budge in his concession programme, arguing that it was not meant to sack any worker as it would only lead to change in management.

Among the parastatals that had been concessioned are the health sector, Imo water corporation, Imo and Agricultural Development programme(ADP). The controversial concession package had already come on board despite stiff opposition.

The workers who dismissed the measure as grossly unconstitutional and an attempt to downsize the workforce in the state consequently dragged the governor to an arbitration court.

Also making their opposition known to the government. The state council of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) vociferously denounced the attempt by the governor to concession public health institutions in the state.

The chairman of the association Dr. Hycinth Emele voiced the opinion of his colleagues, stating that this would exclude the masses from accessing available and affordable quality health care centres.

The medical practitioners expressed regret over the rent concession of the state specialist hospital Umuguma, in the Owerri West Local Government Area to one Dr. Sylvanus Amaechi, former senior special adviser to the governor on health, noting that the NMA had earlier advised the state government to uplift the existing facilities and invest in health by providing adequate manpower, equipment, finances, training and retraining of doctors and other health workers to build effective state health system.

However, for fear of the unknown and the sword of Damocles hanging on their head, they workers numbering in thousands on Wednesday 13th, Jan. 2016 marched through the street of Owerri, the state capital agitating over the no payment of salaries and perceived proposed sack of 4000 persons by the state government.

Every activity in the capital city was brought to a halt following a mega protest carried out by the workers, which started from Edede street to Mbaise road, to Wetheral road, to Bank road and ended at Port Harcourt road.

National officers of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), members of Industrial Unions and workers from South East, South/South and across the country also emptied in Owerri for solidarity march with their Imo Counterparts.

Addressing the protesters, the National President of NLC, Comrade Waheed Wappa assured them of the support of NLC and workers across the federation. While sympathizing with them, Wappa regretted Imo has been the only state where workers had been subjected to hardship and suffering by government.

He said, “In Imo today, workers and pensioners are owed between 15-18 months, while workers in the parastatals have been pronounced sacked by the state government”.

The NLC President also noted Imo is the only state where legal officers in the Ministries are been owed 8 months salaries, retired school teachers have not been paid their gratuity after putting long years of service .
He said, “Workers cannot be sacked by mere pronouncement on the pages of paper when they were employed through due process”.

Wappa further said that they were in the state with open mind to engage Governor Rochas Okorocha in open discussion, adding that NLC must stand firm to resist any plot by government to retrench workers or reduce salaries of workers in the state.

He described the APC policy in governance in Imo as directly opposite to what Mr. President preaches about creating jobs, adding that rather than the governor talk about jobs as he preaches, he engaged in sacking workers.

He questioned why Imo is the only state that has financial challenges after collecting the bail out from Federal government.

The NLC President further described Okorocha as the wicked Governor in the country adding that he does not have the welfare of his workers at heart.

For now, the people of the state are patiently watching on the possible result of the protracted face off between the workers and the rescue mission administration of Okorocha.