By Kenneth Uwadi.
There are less than 25 days to the 2023 governorship election in Imo State. It is glaring to even the apolitical that for four years, Imo was under the rule of chronically inept, fantastically corrupt, and rotten capitalist gangsters. It appears that corruption was a policy thrust of the present Imo government which saw them refuse to conduct council elections. The question remains, will workers, youths and the poor masses continue with this grotesque inequality and misery amid abundant resources for another four years?
Revelations have pointed to the fact that rather than the interest of Imo, the LGA councils to Uzodinma are just cash cows for him and his acolytes. The non conduct of LGA elections for four years has cast serious questions on the accountability and bookkeeping of his government. The LGA’s have proved to be a major siphon employed by him to loot public resources.
Uzodinma’s government for four years was run based on neo-liberal capitalist philosophy, which discourages government spending on basic needs and social infrastructure. This has meant that there was huge but loose revenue that was available for looting. The thieving ruling elite only existed for four years to loot public resources. To them the government is a big racket for self-serving interest.
Here is a governor who came into power in 2020 and stopped the salaries of 11,000 civil servants tagging them ghost workers. Till date, the 11,000 civil servants are still not on the government’s payroll. By this single action, 11,000 families and bread winners were rendered jobless. The degree of emotional and mental trauma these families went through from 2020 till date is unquantifiable. For instance, many school aged members of the affected families had their academic pursuit affected. They were thrown out of schools. As for the parents, it was stories of pains and pangs. The mass sack was a deliberate action aimed at reducing the workforce in the state.
Since 2020 till now, the 11,000 workers have been organizing different forms of peaceful protest and online campaigns against the arbitrary termination of their appointments. Thousands of leaflets have been circulated during the protest while different placards with various demands of the workers were publicly displayed but Governor Uzodinma has remained emboldened and draconian.
It is unfortunate, to say the least, that the current Labour leaders in Imo State do not see this as making ordinary workers to pay for the failure of the pro-capitalist thieving government of the state. If Labour leaders in Imo do not want or do not see how to fight the sacking of workers, low pay, the robbing of workers and pensioners, etc. then they should step aside for those who are not afraid of fighting to step in. They have to reverse their misplaced policy of collaborationism/compromise under the guise of industrial harmony. They should begin to consistently fight for better conditions and improved welfare of workers and also uncompromisingly defend their interests and rights. I hold that it is the failure of the Labour leadership in Imo to mobilize workers to consistently resist attacks that emboldened Uzodinma to ride roughshod over workers in the state.
His anti-poor, neo-liberal policies have created conditions that condemned many Imolites into crimes or despicable acts. Let us learn to say No to massive exploitation of workers who are daily condemned to slave wages and inhuman working conditions.
Who will save Imo? The Imo economy for four years has worked for a handful of people who benefit from patronage, with little concern for investment in productive activities that will result in gainful employment for the many and lifting people out of poverty. Imo needs someone who will come into power and make development to be driven by, and primarily for the benefit of the poor working people. We need someone that will make our economy work for the many and not for the few. Our economic policies should go beyond “growth” and the building of a strong productive base. We need someone who will focus on workers’ welfare, education, job creation, and pension reforms. We no more need those who will sack workers. We need a government that will bring lasting peace and development in our land. We are tired of insecurity. We no more need those who will not conduct council elections. Workers and poor masses should not be carried away by the melodramatic public hearing or repose hope of better deal from the Uzodinma’s government . Rather, workers and masses should agitate for and join a mass movement to vote out the corrupt leaders. Who will replace this self-serving government? Time will tell.
Kenneth Uwadi lives in Mmahu-Egbema, Imo State, Nigeria and can be reached via 08037982714