The peace in Imo State Capital Owerri, was yesterday disrupted by protesting staffers of the Imo State Library Services over the fire-bridge approach of the Imo state Governor, Rochas Okorocha on his purported removal and relocation of the state library situated on Bank Road beside the Imo State Government House.
According to an eye-witness report, the Governor in the early hours of yesterday sent some trucks with Imo State Government House number plates to evacuate the properties in the library after 72 hours notice to the staff to move to a new site at the back of the State Secretariat PortHarcourt Road.
However, the action of the State Chief Executive infuriated the staff and management of the State Library Services, who resisted all efforts by the Governor’s errand men to forcefully eject them. They resolved that they were not in support of moving the library out of its present place where they say is very assessable from all parts of Owerri in particular and the state in general.
It was also revealed that the new site is an uncompleted building, no doors, no windows and the place is not spacious enough to accommodate the library properties let alone readers, above all security of the place have not been taken care of.
Chief Stephen Onwudiwe, the president of Imo State visually inpaired workers union who is incharge of the library for the blind in the Imo State Library Services said that they do not support the action of the government which he said will do more harm than good to them as Imo is the only one in the entire West Africa with library for the Blind.
After much disagreement, the Staffers went on protest march to the Imo State House of Assembly and the Government House. Some of the protest placards read; “No Relocation, No Movement”, “Library Ought To Be In Heart Of The Town”. “Library Is Being Relocated To An Obscure Part Of Owerri In A Free Education State”. “Please Owelle, Don’t Kill Education In Imo State As Your Rescue Agenda Will Be Null & Void By Moving The Imo Library Out Of The Present Site” another one reads thus, “If The Staff Of The Imo Library Are Being Sacked, Govt Should Tell Us”.
Meanwhile, following a petition sent to the Imo Assembly after the demonstration, the House resolved that the library premises remain where it is presently located.
The aggrieved workers are also making moves to reach Archbishop Obinna and Eze Njemanze to protest relocation.
