The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Imo State chapter has taken a swipe at the administration of Governor Hope Uzodinma over alleged “oppression, deprivation, bellicosity, cruelty, violent attacks and misery” which it accused the present government in the state of unleashing on the citizenry.
Imo PDP which made the allegations at a press conference in Owerri on Friday last week, said the alleged precarious situation in Imo State at the moment ” calls for patriotism and sincere reawakening of the core values which underlie… common humanity.”
A press release by Imo PDP during the press conference read in part:
“We have invited you here today in keeping with our longstanding solidarity with the working men and women of Imo State, who have been subjected to the most primitive forms of oppression, deprivation…
“Imo State has now witnessed a sharp descent into full-blown tyranny, where even the institutions of state have been debased… Nothing is sacred anymore;
“…shootings have been carried out in the House of God at Nkwerre LGA of Imo State. Human life now means nothing in Imo State;
“Innocent citizens are slaughtered daily in cold blood just like rams, while those who have the responsiblity to protect lives look the other way.
Imo PDP cited the case of the reported attacks on the family compound of the member-elect for Ideato Federal Constituency, Ikenga Ugochinyere Ikegwuonu to buttress its claim of persisting insecurity in Imo.
On the strike action embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Imo State chapter, Imo PDP further alleged,
“Today, Imo workers are not just denied their salaries, they are further brutally attacked, while aged pensioners are humiliated and flogged like beasts, even when their pensions are as well heartlessly denied.”
Imo PDP recalled what it said was the alleged sack of a staff of the state-owned Imo Brosdcasting Corporation, IBC, “because she dared to request for her over one year salary arrears in order to care for her new born baby.” The party described the development as “heartbreaking!”
The party went further to state that “within the last two (2) months, Imo State has been shut down twice. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) with other affiliate unions in the State have twice embarked on strikes. Aviation operations have been grounded twice. Electricity supply to Imo has been cut off twice.
According to the party, ‘financial institutions have halted all activities twice, thereby crippling the economy of the State. As we gather here, Imo is in total blackout. All businesses have been strangulated. Imo has become a pariah state, cut off from the rest of Nigeria. This is catastrophic!”
Imo PDP blamed the situation on what it alleged was the desperation on the part of the present administration in Imo State to cow the organized labour in Imo into submission.
It alleged:”… eleven thousand (11,000) authentic Imo workers have been stigmatized as ghost workers and they are owed twenty (20) months salary arrears.
Imo PDP noted that those were people verified by the past administration of the PDP, and not a dime was owed to anyone then.
NIGERIA NEWSPOINT
