… Exonerates Management of Illegal Sack Allegation
Staff of the Imo State Transport Company, ITC, have taken Mr. Ohaegbulem Chijioke Kelvin to the cleaners over unguarded utterances against the General Manager, Hon. Uche Obiozor.
In a letter being circulated on social media platforms written and signed by Ohaegbulem, addressed to the Governor of Imo State and dated May 20, 2025, he accused Obiozor of illegal sacking of over 150 workers including him.
Also in Ohaegbulem’s letter, he alleged that the ITC GM runs the affairs of the establishment with high-handedness and employs those only loyal to him.
Against this backdrop, fresh reasons for his suspension have emerged.
In an interview conducted by newsmen yesterday, May 21, 2025 to some workers of the ITC at the premises, especially the Courier department where Ohaegbulem Kelvin served, it was revealed that main factor why Obiozor authorised his suspension may not be unconnected to the missing six IPAD tablets under the supervision and watch of Ohaegbulem Kelvin.
The Head of Courier Logistics/Department of ITC, Owerri, Mr. Amarachukwu Odu explained that on Saturday April 19, 2025, a complaint from the ITC rider, Mr. Patrick came to his table that five IPAD tablets belonging to a female Customer were missing from the Courier store room.
On getting the complaint, he called the attention of the ITC dispatchers namely: Ohaegbulem Kelvin Chijioke, Uche Ejim and Osinachi Okereke, but the three persons denied getting in contact or seeing the IPADS.
While the search for the missing five IPAD tablets intensified, the remaining one tablet making it a total of six also got lost next day being Sunday, the 20th April.
Mr. Odu hinted that it was at that point he knew that something was wrong somewhere.
According to Mr. Odu, it was only him being the Head of the Courier department, Mr. Patrick the rider, and the 3 others (Ohaegbulem, Ejim and Okereke) that had access to the store room.
Odu disclosed that earlier on Sunday before he left office to Church, Ohaegbulem and the two others were in the office and locked office.
Surprisingly, on Monday morning, April 21, 2025 while he came to work, Ohaegbulem, Ejim and Okereke absconded and never reported to work.
It was at that juncture, he brought the matter to the General Manager’s attention who still gave them some days grace to find the missing items or would face a sanction.
Speaking further, Mr. Amarachukwu Odu disclosed that having exhausted the time frame without any recovery of the lost IPADS, the General Manager had to suspend Ohaegbulem Kelvin, Ejim and Okereke in May 2, 2025 since the lost items were on their custody and were lastly seen at work a day before the Monday.
In addition, the Courier Head explained that the suspension of the suspected trio was in order and nothing illegal about it.
“They were at work the days the items got missing. They were incharge at the office and had express entrance to the store room, no one else did. No outsider enters the place. So they deserved every action taken against them”, Odu said.
Furthermore, Odu clarified that in contrary to Ohaegbulem’s claims of salary arrears, he pointed out that Obiozor’s tenure has never owed workers any salary, especially in their Courier department which he is the head.
Also fielding questions from Journalists, Rider for ITC Owerri under the delivery department, Mr. Patrick Chidera Eze furiously asked why someone would blame the GM for suspending erring Staff especially when the evidence was clear.
He disclosed that currently, the customer who owns the stolen IPADs has been worrying over the lost gadgets which made him also to take the matter to the department before the GM took the action of suspending the three mentioned persons.
Mr Patrick said, the total cost of the IPADS is five hundred and ninety-five thousand naira (#595,000) from the invoice generated from the customer and from all standing, would be a debt ITC would pay.
“I wouldn’t say that the GM was wicked because business is not run by sentiments. I feel that every business has its own principles which the GM executed. I don’t think he singled anyone out, he did what was the best because even when I went back to him to plead on their behalf, he said he didn’t do it for me but for the sanity and integrity of ITC to avoid future occurrence. So their suspension I would say, was in good fate”, Eze opined.
Further investigations by our Correspondent, yesterday, showed that all the Staff were busy at work without wearing long faces.
Some also attested that the same Ohaegbulem, an adhoc staff was connected to a former GM of ITC who is still fighting the progress of the establishment from different angles encrypted in falsehood.
