Concerned Nasarawa Elders Accused Organized Labour Of Unguarded And Unpatriotic Statement

Rabiu Omaku

Concerned Elders of Nasarawa state has lambasted the organized labour for being self-centered and unpatriotic with the lingering strike action, the chairman of the group, Yahaya Bello gave the disclosure during a press conference held at Nurse House in Lafia.

Bello described the utterances of the organized labour as careless and unpatriotic which he said has a negative effect to the state, he reacted that the entire workforce in the state constitute only 1% of the 2.5m people.

The group further reaffirmed that 98% of the tax-payers money goes to the working class as salaries and wages, he also chastise politicians for overheating the polity with the present labour crisis in the state.

“What we are asking the state government is to pay us our salaries; we are not concerned whether the state government is going to execute any project in the state “this are the words of some labour leaders, he said.

The concerned group of Nasarawa elders said they are in total agreement with the government that faced with dwindling finances it chose to adjust workers salary rather than the less palatable option of retrenchment which the group said has obvious consequences.

“We have perused the proposed salary adjustment made by the government of Nasarawa state and it was found to be reasonable and equitable in the light of the current economic malaise of the country”.

Adding that the new table proposes a marginal reduction from 0.3% to 4% for the more vulnerable groups of workers level 01-06 and a maximum of 35% -37% for the groups and this compares well with what is being paid by most of the states in the north.

Urging the organized labour to give due consideration to the proposals being tabled, as the elders forum said the unabated strike will have the following consequences to the development and progress of the state.

Yahaya listed some of the consequencies to includes

1. Workforce will remain unproductive
2. Government machinery cannot operates at maximum level
3. Our educational facilities will fall far below in standards to the effect that our children cannot favorably with children of other states.
4. Depreciation of abysmal level
5. Should reconsider the teeming unemployed youth
6. The will have an overriding negative effect on our quest for human development in the state.

The concerned group also called on the state government to come up with possible ways to improves it Internally Generated Revenue to augment the lean resource of the state.

They also urged the state government to explore the possibility of securing a permanent “bailout” by contacting the national salaries and wages commission on the possibility of its right to fix salaries and wages according to its financial resources.