Senator Ayogu Eze |
Workers and Traders in Enugu State have described as false, baseless and
mischievous, the allegation by the governorship candidate of the
opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, Senator Ayogu
Eze, that the PDP was coercing them into submitting details of their
Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVCs.
Sen. Eze, through his spokesman, Barr. Steve Oruruo, had while
denying the allegations of embezzlement of public funds meant for road
contracts, when he was Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, alleged that
“the Enugu workers and traders are being compelled to surrender the
particulars of their PVC”.
But in a swift reaction, the two bodies denied knowledge of such
allegation and warned Senator Ayogu and his faction not to use the names
of the state’s workers and traders to play senseless and devious
politics.
They stated that they had earlier endorsed the PDP governorship
candidate in Enugu State, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for a second term in
office, wondering what could have informed the unfounded and baseless
idea of coercing them into submitting details of their PVCs.
Reacting further, on behalf of the workers, the state chairman of the
Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria, Comrade Igbokwe Chukwuma
Igbokwe, said the accusation does not hold water and should be
disregarded.
His words: “Not to the best of my knowledge, there is no medium
through which that has happened; to my knowledge, no worker has reported
such to me that he is being forced to release any details, and I have
not had any meeting or conveyance of any such meeting.
“As far as I am concerned, there is no circular to that effect,
directing or instructing workers to do such. I am not aware and I can
tell you no single worker has brought such complain to me as their
leader.”
Describing it further as “laughable,” he said “no government takes
such decision, it will communicate it through a circular and it will
come from the office of the Head of Service and as far as I am
concerned, we have not seen a copy of such circular.
“The issue of forcing workers to submit details of PVC for salary, no
government can do that as far as Enugu State is concerned. We will have
been the first to come out publicly and challenge it. Workers’ PVCs are
personal to them. So, there is nothing like that as far as the workers
of Enugu State are concerned. Anybody making such claims should come and
prove it.”
On the part of the traders, the President-General of the Enugu State
Amalgamated Traders’ Association, Mr. Temple Udeh, who spoke to newsmen,
accompanied by other executives representing the three senatorial zones
of the state, described the allegation as unfounded, baseless and a
diversionary measure adopted by Eze’s camp to downplay the burning issue
at the moment (EFCC petition)
He said in a reaction that “we were shocked to hear the false
allegation that our members are being forced to surrender their PVC
details. We want to say that it is a lie from the pit of hell. There is
no iota of truth in it. They don’t know what they are saying; they
should not subject traders to their politics of lies.
“Even the traders’ grant, courtesy of the Enugu State Government,
which has positively affected the lives of traders in the State, there
is no condition attached. We have about 100 beneficiaries every month,
who win N50,000 each to grow their businesses, and it has been on for
the past 3 years, and nobody has been asked to even show evidence of
having a PVC.
“You would remember that before now, last year, the traders came
together and unanimously endorsed the governor for a second term in
office; did he demand for our PVCs before we endorsed him? We endorsed
him because of his good works.
“So, this is a lie of the century. Nobody has ever asked us of PVC.
We are just hearing this for the first time. Do we even have a polling
booth in the market? So, how are you going to do the maneuvering, let
them go and do campaign and win voters not cheap political ideas”.
- Daily Post
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