CHINEDU WOSU, YENAGOA
Following the flogging of a labour leader, Mr. Tonye Yemoleigha by the General Manager of Bayelsa Radio Station Mr. John Idumange,the aggrieved staff on Tuesday said he is heading to court to seek redress.
The flogged staff, Yemoleigha, who was the chairman of the Radio Bayelsa chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) said on Tuesday that he has briefed his lawyer to sue for assault and defamation.
He said, “After assaulting my colleagues and I with a cane, Idumange went on social media, precisely facebook, posting my picture with the caption “face of a fraudulent NUJ chairman.”
Yemoleigha explained that Idumange’s facebook comments had exposed his person to public ridicule and hatred as well as undermined his reputation.
“The courts are there to give us justice so I will be there. My lawyer is taking care of everything and the process will soon commence,” the Union leader said
Idumange, who had confirmed flogging four staff who are union leaders in self-defence, however alleged that the unions were working against his reforms to reposition the broadcast station.
“At about 7.20 p.m on February 22, the day RATTAWU and NUJ embarked on strike, I heard voices near my window, so I went out to see what was happening. I saw four persons, one of them a lady.
“I could recognize Tonye Yemoleigha, one of the union leaders, who was in white shirt. I asked why they were there after chasing away all the workers.
“Tonye stood up and asked if the compound belonged to me. At that point I discovered he was ready for a fight but I did not bulge.
“He brought his hands near my eyes so I blocked it. I had learnt Karate years back. One of them threw a chair at me and they all rushed to fight me. I had to fight back in self-defence.
“They could have beaten me up but my Karate skills rescued me,” he said.
The unions and John Idumane have been in a running battle since he assumed duty on December 6, 2016 over what the NUJ and RATTAWU leaders describe as abuse of authority, privilege and actions contrary to the Public Service Rules.
It will be recalled that Bayelsa House of Assembly and the Chief of Staff Mr Talford Ongolo – brokered peace on January 18, 2017 had failed to restore peace to the radio station operated by the Bayelsa state government.
The Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) on March 15, 2017 concluded investigations into the industrial dispute at Radio Bayelsa with a call on the Bayelsa government to resolve the dispute promptly.
