Rivers NLC Crisis Deepens As Chukwu Emerges Chairman …SEC-In-Session Passes Confidence Vote On Itubo

The Rivers State Council of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) now has a factional council chairman.
He is Comrade Emecheta Chukwu, an erstwhile vice chairman of the council.
A statement issued by the State Administrative Council of NLC in Port Harcourt, yesterday, and made available to The Tide, said the appointment of Comrade Emecheta Chukwu as the acting chairman of the council followed the emergence of Comrade Beatrice Itubo as the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the state for the 2023 elections.
The statement, which was signed by four members of the State Administrative Council (SAC),Comrade Morford Temple,vice chairperson;Comrade Opi Erekosima, vice chairperson; Comrade Alex Ikechi,vice chairperson; and Comrade Awashi Eze,vice chairperson; commended Comrade Beatrice Itubo, for the services rendered to the congress and workers in the state.
The statement, while wishing her well on her future endeavours,said the change of the leadership was aimed at repositioning the activities of the NLC in the state to achieving maximum gains for the benefits of workers in the state.
The statement, however,commended the state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, for the commencement of verification exercise for pensioners towards the payment of their gratuities,pension arrears, and death benefits,adding that the gesture was a demonstration of the fulfilment of an earlier state government’s pledge to workers in the state.
But in a swift reaction, the State Executive Council (SEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress,Rivers State, dismissed the purported removal of Beatrice Itubo as the chairperson of the council in the state.
To this end,the SEC-in-Session, in its emergency congress meeting held, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, which was attended by all the chairmen and secretaries of all industrial unions affiliated to NLC, passed a vote of confidence on Beatrice Itubo-led executive in the state, and urged workers and the general public to disregard the purported appointment of Emecheta Chukwu as the acting chairman of NLC in the state.
A statement signed by the State Secretary of NLC, Comrade Matthew Olabe, said the SEC, in its session, was shocked with the level of depression by those individuals to the extent that they allegedly ‘forged’ innocent members’ signature with the sole aim to realise their inordinate ambition,adding that the congress has resolved to commence investigation into the despicable act with a view to establishing the criminal intention behind their actions.
The SEC-in-session, however, condemned the act in its entirety, and noted that such act was an attempt to subvert the legally constituted leadership of NLC in the stateas well as violated the known principles of constitutional provisions of the congress.
The statement further condemned the actions of security agencies in the state for barricading the NLC State Secretariat Complex, thereby preventing workers from having access into the complex and their offices while calling on the security agencies to withdraw from the occupation of the complex without further delay.

By: Akujobi Amadi