Asaba – Delta State governor Dr Ifeanyi Okowa’s Special Adviser on Labour Relations and Servicom Comrade Mike Okeme was chased out of Nigerian Union of Teachers NUT Election for trying to smuggle alleged fake ballot papers to impose government candidate on teachers.
Comrade Okeme who stormed the election venue with suspected thugs with alleged fake ballot papers mid way into the election was resisted by the angry and hungry looking teachers.
The teachers who were angry over their five months unpaid salaries vowed to do everything humanly possible to stop governor Okowa from imposing the state chairman of NUT on them.
The Delta State chapter wing of the 6th Quadrennial (7th) state delegates conference and election had two persons contesting for the chairmanship position; Comrade Timothy Umukoro who is passive to be the government candidate and Titus Okotie for teachers.
Governor Okowa through his SA and Commissioner for Secondary and Basic Education Chiedu Ebie threatened to strip Education Secretaries (ES) across the state of their positions if they aligned themselves with the unpaid teachers to vote out government candidate.
It was also gathered that spies were sent by government officials to monitor the ES and the election.
The teachers ignored the presence of the government spies and dished out protest votes against the government candidate Umukoro and allowed their own candidate Okotie to clinch the state chairmanship position.
Our correspondent observed that before and during the election the delegates were already jubilating because they were sure of their candidate winning the election.
Speaking with journalists Comrade Chief Ogonegbu Nathaniel Secretary Ukwuani local government chapter said at the end of the election the SA to the governor on Labour came but he was not allowed into the venue. It was at that time that a man was caught smuggling a cartpn of ballot papers through one of the side doors.
Another teacher who pleaded anonymity said Okeme’s mission to the election venue was a clandestine move to ensure that the government’s candidate emerged but was rattled.
