By Okey Alozie
The suspected desire of the Imo State government to compel Workers in the state to proceed on solidarity march in support of the governor is said to have run into hitch as aggrieved civil servants have threatened show down against the perpetrators.
Trumpeta learnt that top government officials had instructed the Perm Secs and Head of Service at a recent meeting to ensure that the Staff Welfare Associations were induced to complied to direct and mobilize all workers with uniforms to embark on solidarity show. This suspicion followed text messages sent to HODs and Unit Heads of all government Ministries, Parastatals and Agencies to come and show support to the governor, his son in-law Uche Nwosu, anointed for 2019 Guber, as well as castigate the Allied Forces who wrestled the soul of APC with Okorocha.
A text message circulating among workers read “Director/HODs: there will be a program involving all civil servants on Tuesday, 19th June 2018 at the Heroes Square by (sic) 9.00am. There will be March past by MDSs in proper official Dress code. It is mandating for ALL STAFF to attend. Directoe/HODs to submit Attendance List on that day. Inform all your Department Staff for their strict compliance. Confirm receipt”.
Further details have it that it was a mock show planned by the governor as a cover up following allegations against him, that he is no longer popular in Imo and does not enjoy the support and goodwill of the masses because of bad governance and desire to foist the son in-law as successor.
Trumpeta gathered that the staff welfare Association leaders are meeting secretly with the government agents to discuss modalities. It has been alleged that some of welfare union leaders received grants to ensure that the mobilize for the solidarity match but the aggrieved ones insisted that the solidarity match should not hold until the state governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha fulfils his promises to Imo workers and pensioners.
While some workers have agreed to put on their dress code for the solidarity march others who are against it said they will put on black on black to demonstrate and show their grievances to the government.
Many Imolites are bitterer on the ground that civil servants are now used as political tools. Investigation revealed that the money dolled out for the solidarity match, could not get to some ministries and parastatals and as a result those workers under such ministries have bolted out from solidarity match since there is no money for them to print banners and handle other logistics.
Meanwhile the state lawmakers are now going to mobilize people of their constituencies to come out on Tuesday for another solidarity march in support of Buhari’s administration.
Information revealed that the whole south east state will storm Imo State that Tuesday for the solidarity march.
For now, all the honourable members of Imo House of Assembly have prepared for the solidarity march as the have dolled out fund to hire more than fifty buses, prepare food and drinks including other logistics to make sure that the solidarity march on Tuesday received huge success.
It is expected that they will march round the major roads of Owerri to show their support to Governor Rochas Okorocha and President Mohammedu Buhari.
In a related development, a group known as the Good Governance Initiative, Imo State chapter has warned Okorocha to desist from intimidating workers in the state into doing his bid willy-nilly.
According to a statement by the officers, Okorocha should withdraw the plan forth with and to desist from the habit of trying to use workers as shield in his fight with fellow politicians.
