Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo State says he does not interfere in the affairs of labour unions in the State.
Uzodinma said this on Thursday while fielding questions from Correspondents in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to him, his administration accords priority attention to workers welfare and their wellbeing and never delays payment of their salaries for each month.
“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.
“Nov. 11 is by (around) the corner; Come and observe the election.
“I came in January 2020 and, by March, I started paying Minimum Wage of N30,000 that has been laying there that the previous leadership didn’t pay.
“By December, I paid 13th month; the first time in the history of Imo Civil Service and I have maintained it continuously; this 13th month payment is an incentive.”
He also said that his administration automated the payment systems and that salaries were now received in an automated manner in Imo State for the first time.
“I brought new innovations, I reformed the civil service; No wonder the civil service and entire National Labour Congress (Imo State chapter) endorsed me.
“I am the only candidate they are supporting in the election.
“The Nigerian Union of Pensioners also endorse me.
“From 2007 to 2020, no civil servant in Imo State received gratuity; it is only my government that has now floated bonds to pay outstanding gratuities to Civil Servants.”
He cautioned against blackmailing his government.
“I want people to be very careful because there is an attempt to mix up partisan politics or to blackmail my government but I can tell you that my people are already aware.
“That was why the NLC (Imo State chapter) addressed a World Press Conference that what their National Leadership is doing is not correct.
“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 encourage the national leadership not to dissolve a management team that their tenure has not expired; that was what they did,” Uzodinma said.