One of the four workers allegedly flogged by the General Manager of Glory FM in Bayelsa, Mr Tonye Yemoleigha, says he is heading to court to seek redress.
The lingering labour dispute at the FM Station operated by Bayelsa State government reached a climax on February 22 when the General Manager, John Idumnge, reportedly flogged four union leaders at their duty posts.
The union leaders were allegedly flogged for organising workers for a strike.
The Chairman of the Radio Bayelsa chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Yemoleigha, told newsmen in Yenagoa recently that he had briefed his lawyer to sue for assault and defamation.
“After assaulting my colleagues and I with a cane, Idumange went on social media, precisely Facebook, posting my picture with the caption “face of a fraudulent NUJ chairman”, Yemoleigha said.
He added that Idumange’s Facebook comments had exposed his person to public ridicule and hatred as well as undermined his reputation.
“The courts are there to give us justice, so I will be there. My lawyer is taking care of everything and the process will soon commence”, the union leader said.
Idumange had confirmed to journalists about his flogging four staff members who are union leaders in self-defence and alleged that the unions were working against his reforms to reposition the broadcast station.
According to the GM, at about 7.20 p.m. on February 22, the day RATTAWU and NUJ embarked on strike, I heard voices near my window.
“So I went out to see what was happening. I saw four persons, one of them a lady.
“I could recognise Tonye Yemoleigha, one of the union leaders, who was in white shirt. I asked why they were there after chasing away all the workers.
“Tonye stood up and asked if the compound belonged to me. At that point, I discovered he was ready for a fight but I did not bulge.
“He brought his hands near my eyes, so I blocked it. I had learnt Karate years back. One of them threw a chair at me and they all rushed to fight me.
“I looked and saw a stick; I had to fight back in self-defence. They could have beaten me up but my Karate skills rescued me”, he said.
The unions and Idumange have been in a running battle since he assumed duty on December 6, 2016 over what the NUJ and RATTAWU leaders described as abuse of authority, privilege and actions contrary to the public service rules.
It will be recalled that Bayelsa House of Assembly and Chief of Staff, Mr Talford Ongoloto’s efforts to broker peace on January 18, failed.
The Civil Liberties Organisation, on March 15, concluded investigations into the industrial dispute with a call on Bayelsa government to wade into the matter with a view to resolving the dispute.