NLC urges Buhari not to release last tranche of Paris Club refund to states

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to release the third and final tranches of the Paris Club refund to state governors yet until a concrete agreement has been reached to use the money to settle outstanding salaries, allowances and pension of workers and retirees in the country.

The union, in a communique signed by the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Ezon, issued to journalists after its central working committee meeting held recently,

also demanded that an immediate and comprehensive audit of all monies so far spent by the government in its effort at reviving the power sector in the country since 1999,

which it said has failed to yield result, but rather produced several billionaires as a result of diversion of the funds,be carried out.

The congress requested the government to immediately inaugurate the National Minimum Wage negotiating committee in view of the impoverishment of workers.

The communique also wanted the FG to compel state governors to properly account for the bailout they received from it as well as the two tranches of the Paris Club refund,

which were supposed to be used for the payment of salaries and pensions, but which it alleged, were diverted to other uses.

The congress regretted that government has not lived up the expectation of Nigerians; and are in the habit of reneging on signed agreements with unions, pointing out that the ongoing strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities,ASUU, was avoidable.

The congress said that ,“Many of the discussions around restructuring have not paid adequate attention to. It resolved to set up a committee to harmonise the various views expressed at the meeting with a view to articulating a position on the issue for subsequent presentation to the organised labour.

“It reviewed the continuous non payment of months of outstanding salaries of workers in some states of the federation , as well as various arrears of pension,

which had also run into several months; which is the actual situation despite President Buhari’s passion to address this matter since he assumed office by giving bail out to governors to clear this shameful state of affairs with the nation’s workforce,not much has been achieved.”

The congress also deplored what it called, the poor service delivery in the power sector saying, “since the current administration came to power in May 2015, it had given N740 billion to the power sector as intervention fund without much to show for it.

CWC, therefore, cannot comprehend the rationale behind the administration’s preparedness to give a further N39bn bailout to the DISCOs for metering purpose.”