Official activities of the Delta Transport Services Limited (Delta Line), a company acquired by the GIG Transport Development Company Limited (God Is Good Motors) at N161 million were Tuesday disrupted and its operational headquarters in the state capital, Asaba, shutdown by sacked workers of the company during a protest over refusal to pay all their entitlements.
Official activities of the Delta Transport Services Limited (Delta Line), a company acquired by the GIG Transport Development Company Limited (God Is Good Motors) at N161 million were Tuesday disrupted and its operational headquarters in the state capital, Asaba, shutdown by sacked workers of the company during a protest over refusal to pay all their entitlements.
It would be recalled that Delta State governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Okowa had on Thursday sacked without entitlements 568 reabsorbed workers of the Delta Line company he sold to God Is Good Motors for N161 million as against a N2 billion bid from Delta State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The workers under the umbrella of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees (AUPCTRE), who stormed the company's operational headquarters in Asaba as early as 8:00 am shutdown the entire premises while staff of God Is Good Motors who had resumed for the day's official activities were seen scampering for safety.
According to the workers, the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees (AUPCTRE), and the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), were not carried along in the sale of the company.
The workers while saying that all out stations of the company across the state were also shutdown vowed that until all their entitlements are paid and other demands met, the company will not be allowed to resume operations.
The workers listed their demands to include among other things, the withdrawing of termination letter issued by God is Good Motors to workers instead of the state government issuing such letters which should indicate time of workers benefits, rejection of 50% deduction from terminal benefits, exclusion of queries and illegal dismissal in disciplining of workers and depriving them of their benefits.
"We are also demanding that workers who used their money to over hauled vehicles and bought tyres should have their money reimbursed to them, payment of June salary, names that didn't appeared in the sack list and are not interested to work should be paid along and God is Good Motors should withdraw their staffs until the above issues are fully met with.", the workers said.
A government house reliably source who confided in SaharaReporters disclosed that the state commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Kingsley Emu, Attorney General, and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Peter Mrakpor and the Finance commissioner, Mr. David Edebvie, perfected all the papers work for the sale of the Delta Transport Services Limited to God Is Good Motors.
"As at today, nobody, not even the Unions have seen the drafted agreement between the state government and the management of the God Is Good Motors for the sale of the transport company.
"The contents of the agreement have been kept in secrecy since it was signed by governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the God Is Good Motors. The whole deal was fraudulently sealed and delivered." our source said.
As at the time of filing in this report, our correspondent learned that series of meetings between the leaders of the sacked workers, government officials and management of the God Is Good Motors were going on.
Meanwhile, Delta state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), has slammed Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for the sacking of 568 staff of the Delta Line Transport Service Ltd, describing it as not only insensitive to the plight of Delta workers but shown that the governor is clueless and insensitive.
The party made its position known while reacting to the sack in a press statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Mr Moses Kamanya, obtained by our correspondent.
"While other progressive governors were initiating people-oriented projects and engaging all other activities that would better the lots of her citizens, Governor Okowa was throwing Deltans into the already saturated unemployment market.
"The action was wrong at a time Deltans were complaining over the ways and manner their collective heritage was being auctioned out to political allies said to have sponsored his governorship election in 2015 for a mere N161 million, for an equity, another investor bade for N2 billion.
“We sympathise with the affected families over this unjust action of the PDP led government in Delta state and we want Deltans to see this as a wakeup call to vote out this insensitive and clueless government come 2019 and take back our state and commonwealth from these rabble rousers that have held the state hostage,” the party stated.
Responding to the APC statement, Delta state Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), in a release signed by its state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ifeanyi Michael Osuoza, stated that APC is good at rabble rousing adding that there was nothing new in the APC statement.
"APC in a desperate attempt to muddle facts as they concern the Delta Line partial privatisation tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to whip up sentiments and score cheap political points."