Imo/River Basin Workers Lock Out MD Over Tenure Crisis

Crisis has hit Imo/River Basin Development Authority as its staff locked out the managing director of the company, Mr Gerald Osuagwu, for allegedly overstaying his four-year tenure.

Osuagwu, according to the staff, completed his tenure on June 2, 2023 and supposed to have handed over to the most senior staff.

It took the intervention of leaders of the workers’ union for the aggrieved workers to open the doors to him after shutting him out of the office for a while.

A source who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that the staff embarked on the showdown due to the frosty relationship between Osuagwu and the workers during his. first tenure.

According to the source, the members of staff alleged they were acting on the directive of the Agriculture and Allied Employees Union of Nigeria (AAEUN) and AIRBDA whom they claim mandated them to lock him at the end of tenure on June 2nd.

Meanwhile, Osuagwu has claimed that his tenure was renewed by former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha on May 28, 2023.

He insisted that his reappointment was duly followed, adding that the workers did not understand the rules of engagement.

Already, the executives of the two unions have petitioned the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to demand the authenticity of the alleged tenure elongation letter flaunted by the managing director.

According to them, the manner of reappointment was not proper, as the directive ought to have been issued by the supervising ministry and not from the office of SGF, which fueled suspicions that his claim maybe untrue, more so that the reappointment letter was issued on a day before expiration of his first tenure.

Part of the letter addressed to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources reads, “That instead of doing so, the MD refused to appear in the office throughout the working day of June 2 but instead travelled to the office of the SGF to collect a letter of reappointment.”