Ex-council boss denies he fuelled protests sparked by job loss rumours

Ousted Liverpool Council chief executive John Ajaka has denied he failed to correct false rumours the organisation planned to sack 150 workers, which sparked fiery protests led by union members, because he was worried his own job was at risk due to escalating tensions with Mayor Ned Mannoun.

Union members chanted “Put some pork on your fork” and held up a toy pig at the protest directed at Mannoun, who is Muslim, before police were called to a chaotic council meeting on April 24 last year, when Ajaka was stood down pending an independent investigation into his behaviour at a meeting.

The United Services Union protest included the chant “Put some pork on your fork” directed at Muslim Mayor Ned Mannoun in April 2024.Credit: Michael Andjelkovic

Ajaka on Wednesday faced cross-examination in a public inquiry into alleged dysfunction and maladministration at the council in south-west Sydney. The inquiry has previously heard Ajaka was hired in late 2022, and his working relationship with Mannoun had deteriorated by the time Ajaka told the mayor to “shut the f--- up” in a meeting about staff employment on April 16 last year.

Ajaka, a former Liberal MP, this week told the inquiry he became aware an email about the false rumour was circulating, and had met a senior union delegate, the day before United Services Union advocate Steve Donley told 2GB Radio host Ray Hadley that 150 jobs at the council were “on the line”, and workers and union members were to protest outside a council meeting the next day.

The inquiry heard Donley had told Hadley on air: “The CEO, John Ajaka, has been told that there will be a council meeting tomorrow at [2pm]. They’ll go into a closed session and the so-called mayor, Ned Mannoun, will sack him.”

Hadley said that “according to Steve Donley, the mayor is doing his best to remove John Ajaka”, before he declared a conflict of interest and said he had known Ajaka and his family for a long time.

Ajaka said multiple people had called him about what was said in the interview, which he did not hear, and that although he knew Hadley, he would not describe him as a friend.

Ajaka said he knew there would be a demonstration, but he did not expect it would be volatile.

The inquiry heard about 300 workers and union members attended the protest, among them people wielding a soft toy pig and who had chanted “Put some pork on your fork”, directed at Mannoun.

Ajaka “absolutely” agreed with a suggestion from Mannoun’s lawyer, Kate Richardson, SC, that was a “deeply offensive phrase to the mayor as a Muslim”.

John Ajaka faced cross-examination in the inquiry into Liverpool City Council this week.Credit: Edwina Pickles

Ajaka said he did not expect anyone would take the false job cuts rumour seriously, and the union had not disclosed where it had originated. He said the mood inside the council meeting on April 24 had been mostly calm, and police were called because Mannoun was frustrated some attendees had refused to vacate the public gallery for a closed-door debate about Ajaka’s future.

Ajaka’s contract was terminated in May last year.

Under questions from Richardson on Wednesday, Ajaka conceded he should have sent a message to all staff to correct the false job loss rumours, but he denied her suggestion he had stayed quiet because it “served your purposes in your conflict with the mayor have the issue escalate significantly”.

Richardson said: “The reason why you were staying silent and allowing the conduct to escalate is because you were concerned your employment might be at risk?”

Ajaka: “No.”

Richardson also said on Wednesday that Hadley had described himself and Ajaka as “good friends”, prompting Ajaka to say: “I accept that we’re friends. He was closer to my wife than he is to me.”

Ajaka said he hadn’t described Hadley as “someone I know”, and not a friend, earlier because “in some ways, friends is probably too strong a term for my relationship with Mr Hadley, is the issue”.

He rejected Richardson’s suggestion that it had been because Ajaka was “seeking to downplay your role in the escalation of this conflict about job losses”.

“With all due respect, that’s nonsense,” Ajaka said.

The inquiry continues in front of Commissioner Ross Glover. Mannoun is yet to give evidence.

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