Leading aviation unions in Nigeria are currently at red alert and awaiting the green light from their parent body, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), to pepper the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, with lawful sanctions in retaliation for the recent brutalization of Mr. Joe Ajaero, the NLC President, by thugs allegedly working for the Governor.
The unions, comprising the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) said they were ready to withdraw air traffic services to Imo airport if the parent union so directs.
The peeved unions said there was no justification to spare the Governor of any punitive actions because he failed to seek legal redress in addressing his grievances (if any) but preferred to go barbaric, thereby spitting on due process.
They said the only ‘sin’ of Ajaero was to lead a peaceful protest against unpaid salaries and other injustices suffered by workers in Imo State.
The angry unions, in a joint statement, also lampooned the police personnel for feigning helplessness while Ajaero was being tortured by the thugs.
The statement read in part:
“Wednesday November 1, 2023 will go down as one of the darkest spots on Nigeria’s democratic credentials. On that date, the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, was beaten and brutalized by the goons of the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, in the form of official thugs. While Comrade Ajaero was being beaten up, officers of the Nigerian Police Force, paid by taxes from workers, did nothing to protect him.
“Instead, after supporting the thugs in their barbaric act against Comrade Ajaero, the Police abducted him to a hidden location and further manhandled him.
“It is most unfortunate that this story of sheer barbarism actually happened in 21st Century Nigeria.
No one thought that a Governor could descend to such abysmal level of disgrace to utilize such crude means of striking back at a perceived enemy. And no one thought that the Nigerian Police Force could be such a coercive tool in the hands of a government official against the very people they are supposed to protect.
“This is more perplexing considering the efforts of the current Inspector General of Police, a new face of civility.
“In all of this, the only crime of comrade Ajaero is acting out his statutory role of fighting for the rights of Imo State workers as the President of NLC, in implementing the decision of the National Executive Council of the Congress”.
While insisting that the governor had bitten more than he could chew, the aviation unions promised to take him on in any lawful way.
“Hope Uzodimma has overreached himself. Uzodimma has murdered sleep, and he shall sleep no more.
“We state unequivocally that we stand ready to act as may be directed by NLC to black out Imo State from the aviation map, and take further actions against the person of Hope Uzodimma as we deem fit, until the needful is done”, the statement added.
