Plans To Privatize Parastatals Labour Locks Imo Assembly As Speaker Appeals For Calm

The lingering dispute between Civil Servants and Imo State Government took a bad turn Thursday when the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC moved into the Assembly Complex to challenge the plan by the state government to commercialize parastatals in the state.
Following reports that plans were underway to sell parastatals therefore diffuse the arrears owed the staff of the co-operation, the organized Labour moved in to stop the action.
The NLC moved early in the morning to not only put the gate under lock and key but also bar members from gaining access.
The action attracted the attention of the speaker, Acho Ihim, who raced to the Assembly Complex to meet the aggrieved Labour Union officials.
The union officials informed the Speaker that apart from government owing Assembly Staff about five months salary arrears. Labour was noted of plans to commercialize the parastatals through a law of the House.
In response, Ihim denied plans to make such laws stating that no bill or motion related to the said rumour is before the House.
He requested the NLC and entire workers to ignore such unfounded reports.
He however asked the workers to exercise patients with government on salary matters as the governor is working towards making workers in the state.
It could be recalled that just on Wednesday August 19, that staff of the Assembly demonstrated in the complex demanding for the their 4 months salary arrears which the Governor in several of his statements have been promising to settle.

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