NLC frowns at non-payment of salary to judicial officers

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has frowned at non payment of salary to judicial workers by the Ministry of Finance.

In a letter addressed to the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, signed by its National President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the union argued that given the sensitive nature of the work of judicial officers and staff, “as a separate arm of government, one cannot stress enough the importance of the judiciary in the present dispensation and the efforts of Mr President to bring about change in our national life and root out corruption from our society.”

Furthermore, it added thus: “The efforts of the current administration to cleanse our polity of the scourge of corruption will be seriously impaired when those in the frontline that can make all the difference in this campaign are inelegantly treated.

“Madam Honourable Minister, we need not point to the current economic hardship occasioned by the recession to show the importance workers attach to their wage payment as and when due. It is even more critical in this season during which workers are expected by their family members to pick not just bills of the festivities, but even more the payment of other important bills such as the school fees of their children etc.

“It is in the light of these compelling responsibilities that we are calling on you to urgently approve the payment of the withheld salary of Federal Judicial workers.

“Given the commendable role played by Mr President in defraying part of the backlog of salaries owed by many state governments, it will be unfortunate if this ugly trend of non-payment of salaries to public officers, is allowed to manifest at the federal level.”