It was more of a fist of fury yesterday when placard carrying, protesting workers of the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, ISOPADEC, took to the streets of Owerri to complain against non-payment of their salaries for months.
After mobilizing for the protest at their new Owerri office location, the workers moved towards Concorde Hotel road where they ran into the convoy of the State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma.
Trumpeta learnt that moments the convoy approached, the aggrieved workers joined by suspected miscreants from the oil producing areas blocked the convoy while chanting solidarity songs.
It was further learnt that a side mirror and side body of the one of the convoy vehicles was smashed prompting security aides of the governor to scare protesters from the way.
Chaos came up later when the protesters marched to the Secretary to the State Government office where they met security agents who started following them to Government House, Owerri.
Mid way into their journey at Bank Road, the security agents comprised mainly of SARS operatives ordered them not to continue their movement towards Government House. Anti riot canisters and gun shots were fired to bar the workers from proceeding which caused serious pandemonium on the streets as people scampered for safety.
In the ensuing melee, the fleeing protesters were said to have sustained various degrees of injuries as the security agencies arrested not less than 15 persons.
Trumpeta further gathered that those who were apprehended were also brutalized and manhandled.
As at the time of this report, the arrested protesters were being interrogated at the state police command Owerri.
It would be recalled that for the umpteenth time, ISOPADEC staff have been on street protest over non-payment. The staffers are claiming that since Uzodinma came on board in January 2020, he is yet to pay them salaries.
