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From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Three executive members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Imo State chapter, were arrested yesterday on the directives of the Head of Service (HoS) of the state government, for allegedly enforcing compliance of the strike action at the secretariat.
The state NLC Caretaker Committee member and the state Secretary, Amalgamated Union of Public Cooperation (AUPCO), Comrade James Chukwudi, who spoke to Daily Sun accused the Imo State HoS, Raymond Ucheoma, to have ordered their arrest on sighting them at the gate of the state secretariat, along the Owerri-Port Harcourt road.
Comrade Chukwudi disclosed that those arrested by the police were the NLC’s state Secretary, Comrade Nduka Aniukwuojior and the state Woman Leader, Mrs. Margret Ogbujor.
He said: “It is normal to monitor the compliance of the labour union members and that was what we did. We were at the Imo State Secretariat gate when a team of policemen in a Hilux van stopped and arrested us. They took us to the police station in New Owerri.
“It was later that we learned that the Head of Service ordered our arrest by inviting the police to the secretariat. But everybody knows the NLC is on a two-day nationwide warning strike, and part of our job is to monitor the level of compliance of the people involved. The Imo State NLC Chairman, Comrade George Ofoegbu, has reached out to the Commissioner of Police. We hope to be released soon.”
However, when contacted, the Imo State Head of Service, Mr Raymond Ucheoma, said contrary to the claims of the NLC officials, those arrested had allegedly invaded the secretariat and looted two offices as well as extorting unsuspecting civil servants.
He said: “They are impostors parading themselves as NLC officials. They invaded the secretariat and carted away some valuables, including money. Two offices were looted and workers harassed and extorted of their money. So, the Imo State police, on getting such a tip, stormed the secretariat and arrested them because it is a criminal act.”
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Imo police Spokesman, Henry Okoye, proved abortive, as his phone lines were unreachable at the time of filing this report.
