NLC president slams Benue govt’ over workers salary arrears
NLC President Benue Government’ Over Failure to Use FG Interventions To Settle Workers Salary Arrears.
National President of Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Alhaji Ayuba Wabba, yesterday blamed the Benue State government for not making proper use of the federal intervention funds to clear salary arrears of the workers.
Wabba who was in Benue in company of members of his national executive told journalists after meeting with Benue State working committee at the state NLC secretariat that the state government has failed to prioritize the issue of workers’ salaries.
He remarked: ‘The problem with Benue State is that there is no commitment on the part of government because two years ago, Plateau State was on the same page with Benue in salary arrear but because of Plateau state government commitment, it has cleared the arrear of workers’ salary.’ “So it is unheard of that in Benue, state civil servants are owed seven months salary, 11 months for local government workers and 13 months pension arrears, it shows the ingenuity of the state government.”
On governor Ortom’s excuse that all the previous federal government interventions were not enough to clear the workers’ salary arrears he inherited, the NLC President dismissed the claim, insisting that there was no commitment on the part of the state government to liquidate the salary of workers.
He spoke further: “I was telling the members today that the situation of Plateau and Benue were similar in 2015 but today due to ingenuity and the transparent utilization of the Paris club, bailout refunds, Plateau government has liquidated all the salary arrears.”
“We are here in Benue to strengthen our members and also to urge them to represent effectively the interest of workers because there would always be contestation about how we are able to prioritize our interest.
“The situation in Benue is very precarious that is why I have to make this journey to Benue, we had interface with leaders of the union and thereafter they have to meet on their own to take some far reaching decision to be communicated to us in few days ahead.”