Staff of Imo Broadcasting Corporation [IBC] went on a protest against the decision of the management committee to organize an audition for them.
The protest which started at the early hours of Tuesday, October 20, 2015 after a union meeting of staff was against the Dr. Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe led committee which they leveled many anti-labour accusations against.
They described the committee as illegal and unprofessional adding that they are not qualified to audition them, adding that the committee should go and let them be.
The situation escalated when the staff started chanting the labour solidarity song, insisting that Dr. Ajumbe who was on seat as at then, comes down to address them. After close to 30 minutes of singing, only a member of the committee, Pastor. Frank Onwumere came down, coinciding with the arrival of the Imo State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress [NLC], Comr. Austin Chilakpo; State Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalist [NUJ], Sir Innocent Igwe and other labour officials.
Addressing the angry workers, Comr. Austin Chilakpo assured them that there will never be any form of auditioning for the staff adding that it is not possible to audition a staff who has worked for more than 20 years.
Comr. Chilakpo also stated that the issue of concessioning or sale of Imo Broadcasting Corporation will not be acceptable because it is against the labour act and that workers should disregard such news and move on with their daily activities.
He further hailed the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha as good man who is ready to make Imo better, but frowned at the activities of the people around him, who feed him with the ‘all is well’ information.
A staff who spoke said, the workers are misunderstanding the plans of the committee adding that the interest of the committee is only to boost productivity at the corporation and not to sack anyone.
After a meeting between the representatives of NLC, NUJ and staff union and the management committee, the staff were urged to keep calm and continue with works, having been assured that there won’t be any form of auditioning for them.
Previously, on Monday, October 19, 2015, while paying the outstanding salaries of the adhoc, guest and contract staff, Dr. Ajumbe insisted that the audition must hold and staff who fails to attend will themselves to blame. He reiterated on his desires to make the corporation better by making it compete with the likes of Channels and AIT, whom he said does not have better staff and equipment.
Dr. Ajumbe said he is aware that his plans will conflict with other people’s ideas but he will not be paying much attention to the micro society, but to the yearnings of the macro society whom he describes as the IBC staff and IBC listeners/viewers respectively.
He then urged the workers to support the plans of Governor Okorocha to make IBC a better place and a force to reckon with in the broadcast industry within Nigeria and beyond. 
