TEN States have misspent the
bail out funds and the Paris Club refund, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)
said yesterday.
The NLC made good its threat to “Name and Shame” states that
refused to pay workers or make public the bailout funds and the Paris Club
refund they got.
The congress also warned the government against approving
another increase in electricity tariff, saying it will mobilise its affiliates,
social partners and other Nigerians to resist any further increase when
Nigerians were yet to get a good service foe the previous increase, which has
been declared illegal by the court.
NLC President Ayuba Wabba, who spoke at the National Executive
Council meeting of the Non Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated
Institutions (NASU) in Abuja, said six of the 10 states were in a terrible
situation, pointing out that the congress had directed all states chapters whose
members are owed more than three months salaries to declare an industrial
action.
While reacting to President Muhammadu Buhari’s disappointment
with the governors over the utilisation of the funds, Wabba had told The Nation
that the congress was compiling a list of governors who failed to spend the
funds on workers’ salaries.
Wabba said: “Out of the 36 states, we have 10 bad case scenario
and out of this 10, we have six terrible ones. We have promised to name and
shame them.
Those states include Imo that has been paying workers salaries
in percentage and has not declared utilisation of the bail out fund and Paris
Club refund. It is part of the states that ICPC has mentioned in fund
diversion.“They paid 40 percent pension to their pensioners without their
consent and provided a form for them to sign under duress. That is not allowed
in law.
We have Bayelsa, which has between five to 10 months arrears.
Ondo is owing between four and six,
Ekiti (five to eight),
Benue (Five to Eight) and
Kogi, which is the worst case scenario. "We have three
categories of workers in Kogi. We have 40 per cent that are being paid up to
date, we have 25 per cent that has not been paid between eight and 16 months
and another 25 per cent that has not been paid between eight and 21 months. In
all, the sectors, they have categorised the workers into three categories.
“We also have the case of Osun which is also paying in
percentage, but is up to date.
Ebonyi, unilaterally, without discussion with the union tried to
reduce the salaries by certain percentage and have also not made available
records of utilisation of the Paris Club refund.
“We have the case of Zamfara, which is the only state that has
not implemented the minimum wage and all attempt (including agreements they
have signed) to get them to make available records of utilisation of those
funds have failed.
The last one is, Abia which has a problem with the parastatals.
On the average, other states are above board.
The NLC chief went on: “As I speak to you, both Zamfara and Benue
are on strike and I am aware that Kogi has issued a notice, which is in
conformity with the decision we took at our last NEC meeting that any state
with liability of more than three months should start an action and we will be
there to support them.”
Speaking on the statement credited to the Permanent Secretary in
the Federal Ministry of Power that one of the problem in the power sector was
low electricity tariff, Wabba said workers will not accept any further increase
in tariff.
Culled from The Nation Newspaper
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