Abia State News Special Report
SALARY WAR IN ABIA STATE: NLC ISSUES ULTIMATUM, GOVT COUNTERS
![]()
Afnews Editor
Aug 12, 2019
The Abia State government has taken a swipe at the State
chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress(NLC), Comrade Uchenna Obigwe, over his
continued claims against the government regarding the salaries of civil
servants in the state parastatals.
READ ALSO:
44-Year-Old Man, Adetoro David, Arraigned For Stealing 24 Month-old Baby
It reiterated that the existing laws made by the Abia House
of Assembly does not empower the State government to pay workers in the
parastatals, as the management of those parastatals are permitted by law to
make, retain and use their revenue to pay their workers as at when due.
READ ALSO:
COVID-19: understanding isolation, lockdown and stigmatization (2)
John Okiyi Kalu, the Commissioner for Information in Abia state,
in a statement issued to newsmen in Umuahia, the Abia state capital, Monday,
following purported ultimatum slammed on Governor Okezie Ikpeazu-led
administration by the Organized labour in the state, demanding payment of
salaries owed to workers in Abia parastatals, slammed the labour leaders.
READ ALSO:
APC Chieftain Reveals Why Nigerians Should Not Expect Credible Election Again
According to the statement, The state government provides
support to parastatals from time to time through the payment of subventions
which are not necessarily for salary payments.
READ ALSO:
GRAND RECEPTION: Massive Crowd Endorses Alex Otti for 2027 as He Unveils Bold Plans to Transform Umuahia | WATCH VIDEO
It reads partly, "It is important that we correct some
factual distortions and falsehood contained in the statements for the sake of
posterity. We agree that "a labourer deserves his wages," and, hence, have
worked very hard to prioritize workers' emoluments in the state. As confirmed
last Saturday by Comrade Obigwe, via a radio program monitored in Umuahia, Abia
State, Government is not owing workers in the Ministries, Departments and
Agencies (MDAs) of the state any salary.
READ ALSO:
A Loyal Force In Abia's Rebirth: Dogo Bende Celebrates Emetu's Leadership And Legacy
"Statutorily, these are the workers paid directly by the
state government and they constitute more than 70% of the state workforce. NLC
leadership at both state and national levels confirmed that workers in our MDAs
are not being owed salaries and we make bold to state that they have already
received July 2019 salaries. State parastatals also do not remit any portion of
their revenue to the state government's consolidated revenue account unlike the
MDAs.
READ ALSO:
Enugu Killings: Abaribe Releases Strong Statement, Ask Critical Questions
"If organized labour, led by Obigwe, is asking the state
government to directly pay salaries of workers in parastatals then they should
be bold enough to approach the state House of Assembly to amend the relevant
laws to ensure that such parastatals remit their revenues to the state coffers
so the state can assume full responsibility for paying workers in those
parastatals.
READ ALSO:
Birthday: Emenike Iroegbu Celebrates Ikechukwu Emetu, Praises His Support for Otti's Agenda
"It is on record that this administration has made several
interventions to help pay parastatals workers including paying workers of
ABSUTH 11 months salary arrears in 2015, payment of N2bn debt of AbiaPoly,
payment of months of subventions to all the ailing parastatals in the state
etc.
READ ALSO:
Chimaobi Desmond Anyaso Challenges Youths on Enterprise, Leadership, Backs Continuity of Otti's Reforms
"The details of the management of CBN bailout funds and
Paris Club Refund to Abia State is within the public domain and we invite the
State NLC Chairman, Comrade Uchenna Obigwe, who was a prominent member of the
committee that distributed the funds to publicly give account of how he and
other members shared the funds to defray unpaid wages.
READ ALSO:
WATCH VIDEO: How COVID-19 task force disrupted burial in Anambra
"Suffice it to state that the Independent Corrupt Practices
Commission (ICPC) and Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) applauded the transparent
manner the state government, led by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, managed the funds.
It was this same organized labour that dominated the committee that decided who
to pay and who not to pay in the face of limited resources.
READ ALSO:
REVEALED: Bende Youths Declare Total Support for Alex Otti's 2027 Return, Back Chimaobi Desmond Anyaso for Reps Seat
"Interestingly, the same NLC Chairman, Obigwe, who is now
pretending to be championing the cause of pensioners and some parastatals also
vehemently opposed the proposal by the state government to the committee that
more resources be allocated to pension payments and some of those parastatals.
We invite him to explain the basis of that his stance to the public.
READ ALSO:
DECEPTION: How Man Who Claimed To Be Thirsty, Robbed Aged Woman, Ties Her Up | SEE DETAILS
"We wish to state without fear of contradiction that Abia is among the few states that are yet to receive the last tranche of Paris Club Refund. That the state NLC Chairman publicly claimed that he "read online" that the state government has received such payment is mischievous, bearing in mind that someone occupying his position is expected to verify information before going public and not rely on some fabricated falsehood in questionable online outfits". (DP)
