Unpaid salaries strip workers of humanity, says Ajaero

…as Wabba disagrees with Aremu

Joe Ajaero, factional president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has described the failure of governments in 18 states of the federation to pay thou- sands of workers salaries running into eight months in some states as “stripping of the workers” humanity”.

His position came as Ayuba Wabba, presi- dent of another faction of the NLC reasoned that public condemnation of the bogus sala- ries and allowances of the National Assembly members was not necessary, saying his faction would be seeking audience with the leader- ship of the legislature on the matter.

“For the avoidance of doubt, on the issue of the budget of the National Assembly, we have since communicated our intention to constructively engage with the leadership of the National Assembly and are awaiting its response for a forum where we intend to further unfold our agenda. We will similarly engage Mr. President on a range of national and labour specific issues, when we get to have an audience with him.”

But Ajaero believed this was a wrong ap- proach, saying “Ayuba must be in a criminal league” with the National Assembly as there was no justification for any concerned labour leader to meet privately with the legislators over an issue roundly condemned by all sec- tors of the Nigerian society and beyond.

Wabba had in a statement on Tuesday condemned an earlier statement created to Isa Aremu, deputy president of the NLC in Ajaero’s camp, that the alleged decision of the National Assembly to cut its budget from N150 billion to N120 billion was too token and not far-reaching enough”.

Describing Aremu as “serial impersonator”, Wabba said Ajaero and Aremu were not permitted to speak on behalf of congress because “they are not national leaders of the NLC.

“As general secretaries of their respective unions that are affiliates of the NLC, we can- not stop Comrade Aremu (of National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria) and Ajaero (of National Union of Electricity Employees), or any officer of an in- dustrial union from speaking on any national issues they feel strongly about. However, no affiliate industrial union or their officers are at liberty to issue statements in the name of the Nigeria Labour Congress unless such and affiliate is expressly mandated to do so,” said Wabba.

But Ajaero dismissed Wabba’s position as baseless saying having instituted a case against him (Ajaero) in the National Industrial Court, Wabba was being pre-judicial.

Wabba took me to court, why is he jumping the gun. He should wait for the outcome of the case. I must add
Unpaid salaries strip workers of humanity, says Ajaero

that it is the unions that formed the NLC, not NLC the unions,” said Ajaero. Meanwhile, Ajaero has condemned the jumbo of the National Assembly noting that the phenomenon was a backlash of the huge resources the politicians pumped into their election and re-election campaigns in the recently concluded general elections.

He regretted that repeated alert to the na- tion on the danger of the continued unbridled corruption and the burgeoning cost of gover- nance which posed great danger to the na- tional economy, as usual, was left unheeded.

According to him, unpaid salaries were one of the immediate consequences of the mindless looting of our collective patrimony by the poli- ticians and other various public office holders.

“Making workers its first victims becomes a justification of our earlier outcries and warnings. This is unacceptable! It is pitiable to hear some governors trying to shift the blame purporting that it was the heavy looting at the centre that is culpable for the backlog of salaries. Congress agrees on the score of the heavy looting at the centre but we know that the same went on in the states. We are how- ever not amused by such proclamations but are only interested in ensuring that Nigerian workers get paid their salaries”, Ajaero added.

He, however, advised that State Govern- ments should re-double their efforts at in- creasing their internally generated revenues (IGR) to augment what comes from the fed- eration account.

JOSHUA BASSEY