…Visit Port Harcourt soon
By Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
Following the ongoing leadership crisis rocking the Rivers State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi and the National President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, are said to have waded into the matter.
They are now expected to visit Rivers State any moment from now to meet with key members of the NLC.
One of the executive members of the union, who pleaded anonymity, revealed this development to TPCN on Tuesday in Port Harcourt.
He said the matter had been reported to the national leadership of the NLC which he claimed was not happy about the development.
The NLC inside source, who blamed those he described as power-hungry people for the crisis in the union, said the issue had exposed them to mockery and embarrassment.
“The crisis is politically motivated as far as am concerned. Some people are using some of us who are power-hungry to instigate the crisis. If not, I don’t see how some persons can wake up one morning and begin to lay false accusations on our state chairman and then claim they have taken over the union’s leadership. So, it’s all political and we know it. We’re not fools.
“But very soon, the matter will be settled by God’s grace. The national leaders are already of it and I know they will intervene soon.
“From what I heard, our national president, Ayuba Wabba, is planning to come here very soon. The information we’re getting is that he’s not happy about the crisis because they know how important our chapter is. When you’re talking of viable chapters, after Lagos and Abuja, the next is Rivers. So, they’re worried.
“I also heard that our presidential candidate, Peter Obi, is not happy over what is happening here and is in constant touch with the union’s national leaders over the situation. I won’t be surprised to see him in Port Harcourt alongside our national executives over this matter if it persists,” he said.
Recall that a faction of the Rivers NLC had asked their state chairman, Beatrice Itubor, to step aside and hand over to the chairman of the NLC Joint Action Committee, Emechete Chukwu.
Beatrice Itubor recently emerged as the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Rivers State.
But the state executive council of the union, in a statement by its secretary, Alade Matthew, condemned the plot to hijack the NLC leadership from Itubor whom it still recognised as the bonafide chairman of the union.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had, at the weekend, sealed the Rivers State Secretariat of the NLC over the ongoing leadership crisis.
It was gathered that spokesman of NSCDC, Rivers State Command, Olufemi Ayodele, had said the action followed an intelligence report that the NLC state Chairman, Mrs Beatrice Itubo, was using the Secretariat for political meetings.
Ayodele had also explained that his command got information that there was a fracas between the NLC and its leader, Beatrice Itubor hence the command’s prompt intervention, adding that it was the command’s duty to protect the public property.
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