The organised labour has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, not to release the 50 percent of the Paris Club Loan refund to the state governors until they fully paid the salaries of their workers.
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama and the President of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Olabode Johnson, urged President Buhari to ignore the demand of the governors for the 50 percent of the Paris Club Loan refund, even when they have not effectively utilised the first and second tranche of bailout given to them.
Already, the NLC and TUC had written to President Buhari, not to release any further bailout to state governors who are still owing workers salaries.
They gave this position in different interviews, even as they all declared that the organised labour would now begin massive protests in states who have refused to use the bailouts funds earlier released to them to settle workers salaries and pensions.
They enjoined President Buhari not to release further bailouts to the governors until they are made to account for the funds already released to them.
President Buhari had expressed displeasure with the refusal of some state governors to pay their workers salaries and pensioners, despite several bailouts given to them, while meeting with state governors on Tuesday.
President of NLC, comrade Ayuba Wabba who spoke to LEADERSHIP on phone said, the president has shown clearly that he understands the plights of the workers.
According to Wabba, the President had shown clearly that he understands the plights of workers, adding, “we understand that their going to the President was to ask for further bailouts. But clearly, this has shown that it is not about just releasing money to them. They must first give an account of what has been released to them.
“Let me give you an instance, Jigawa State did not access the bailouts and the state government is not owing salary or pension. But look at Bayelsa, despite its 13 per cent derivation and bailouts funds released, it is still owing workers. The President must ask for a proper audit of funds already released. ”
Wabba vowed that the workers will fully mobilise to shut down activities in those states who are deliberately not taking the plights of workers seriously.
Revealing the joint efforts being made by the NLC and TUC, the TUC President, Kaigama said the TUC and NLC have jointly written to President Buhari and urged him to stop any further release of bailouts to governors still owing.
Comrade Kaigama said: “the NLC and TUC have written a joint letter to President Buhari. Our request is that governors should give a proper account of the monies they have received, especially those who got the bailouts and are still owing several months.”
According to him, the two labour centres will be taking further actions against those governors and ensure that workers get the monies.
The TUC leadership charged the Federal Government to hold on to the money until the workers and pensioners are fully paid.
“The governors are stock-piling the released fund somewhere waiting for 2019 election campaign, but we are going to surprise them. It is not going to be business as usual,” he said.
He decried some state governors for asking for the release of 50 per cent of the Paris Club loan refund, even when they cannot account for the tranches already released to them.
President of PENGASSAN), Comrade Francis Johnson said it is ungodly for any governor to still be owing workers salaries despite collecting bailouts from the Federal Government.
He said: “it is sad that while we are yet clamouring for an upward review of the minimum wage, some governors are still not paying the N18,000 minimum wage which is nothing to write home about given our current state of the economy.
“Are the governors being owed? Is there any of their aides or commissioners that is being owed? And yet, you see them living lavish lifestyle to the detriment of the workers who voted them into office.”
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