Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, has blamed President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for the attack he suffered in the hands of hoodlums during a protest in the state.
According to Uzodimma, Ajaero suffered the fate because he “mixed partisanship with Labour affairs.”
The governor made the comment while State House reporters in Abuja after receiving the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) flag from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as candidate in the November 11 poll.
Uzodimma was in the company of other APC’s flag bearers, including Timipre Sylva (Bayelsa) and Usman Ododo (Kogi). The duo also got the APC flags from the President.
Ajaero, who was in Owerri on Wednesday to mobilise workers for a protest, was attacked at the Sam Mbakwe Airport. Policemen later whisked him away in what they claim was to keep him in ‘protective custody.’
But the NLC rejected the police claim on protection for Ajaero, saying the police were part of those who attacked him.
Uzodimma, in his reaction, accused Ajaero of being unable to distinguish his role as a national Labour leader and being a partisan Imo State indigene.
On why Ajaero was attacked in the state, Uzodimma said: “I wanted you people to be very careful because there is an attempt to mix up partisan politics or an attempt to blackmail my government, but I can tell you that my people are already aware of that.
“That was why the NLC (Imo State chapter) addressed a news conference that what their national leadership is doing is not correct and that they are not going to do any strike or protests and in the process, they decided to dissolve them to put in a caretaker.
“Of course, I’m the Chief Security Officer and I have a responsibility to intervene. I encouraged the national leadership not to dissolve a management team that their tenure has not expired and that was what they did.
“I don’t interfere with Labour matters, but I have convinced my workers in Imo State to believe in me and that trust is what opposition parties are trying to fight.
“But, I can assure you that Imo people already have taken that decision.”
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