In view of what they perceive to be Gov Hope Uzodinma’s commitment to reposition Imo road transport sector, with the recent appointment of a competent commissioner, stakeholders of the NURTW have urged him to further consolidate his good plans by probing activities of Chief Kenneth Okafor.
The National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, members who, spoke during the inauguration of the newly appointed commissioners on Monday in Owerri, said that time has come for the governor to do that as his activities are destroying the union, the state transport sector and denying government badly needed revenue.
According to them, since he has already started moves to curb the rot in the system, with the return of the man who repositioned and reformed it, before its alleged bastardization by the transport aide, necessity demands that he looks into loud complaints of looting of the union fund and sacking of genuine union members.
The stakeholders drawn from all branches and who spoke under condition of strict anonymity for fear of reprisal, noted that such desirable action will lay the foundation for the cleaning of the state transport sector and NURTW in particular.
Similarly, they posited further that it will equally lead to increased revenue generation for government and help assuage union members allegedly illegally victimized and sacked by him.
The unionists alleged that in his quest to become a billionaire through takeover of union revenue, Chief Okafor has converted the union into his personal estate and ran it as sole administrator.
The man they claimed has also consistently been boasting of being a sacred cow in the present government because of his alleged relationship with the governor and the Principal Secretary.
They noted that apart from pocketing of the state purse, he also took control of the revenue of NURTW branches through daily collection of not less than fifty percent of revenue accruing to every branch.
That development they said has literarily rendered thousands of members jobless as they go home empty handed after toiling under the rain and sun, since branch chairmen have little or nothing to pay them after remitting money to him.
Asked why the chairmen can’t resist such seeming anti people policy, they opined that everyone is afraid to protest openly because those who tried it were immediately sacked, and replaced with non union members.
According to them, Chief Okafor had earlier wanted to hijack the revenue of the union during the time of Comrade Ifechi Okorie ( One Man Squad) as state chairman, but did not succeed because the chairman viewed it as being against the interest of the government and union.
The group alleged that it was that principled stand of Comrade Okorie that led to frantic efforts to discredit him before the governor in the wake of President Buhari’s visit to the state, few months back.
And having allegedly hijacked the union in the wake of Okorie’s removal, the transport adviser according to them turned the union into a money making machine, sacking whoever opposed his strange style, while his handpicked leadership though unhappy with his ugly actions, looks the other way for fear of being sacked.
The concerned group serious appealed to the governor to investigate his appointee’s alleged excesses which has remained unabating allegedly because of his sacred cow status as his kinsman.
Declaring total loyalty and support to the governor, they made it clear that they have nothing against Chief Okafor as a person but, are wholeheartedly against his leadership style which, they stressed is seriously denting and diminishing the name and image of the governor and 3R government in eyes of union members and the Imo electorate.
