Nasarawa NLC To Embark On Fasting And Prayer Over Lingering Strike

Rabiu Omaku

• Says Only Irresponsible govt will sack workers

As the ongoing labour strike in Nasarawa entered into third week,The organized labour in the state has directed all it’s members to embark on one day special fasting and prayer session.

The state NLC chairman, Abdullahi Adeka gave the hint at the labour house today, He said apart from the special prayer; the union will also observe special prayer session at Secretariat mosque, Kofar Fada and Lafia East.

Adeka said the essence of the special fasting and prayer is for God to intervene in the lingering labour strike, He further said selected churches would be pointed for such prayer, though as at press time the chairman directed the secretary of the organized labour to liaise with Christians in the executives.

The organized labour while reacting on a public announcement ran by the state owned broadcast outfit (Nasarawa Broadcasting Corporation) described the unabated announcement titled: “TEN REASONS WHY WORKERS IN NASARAWA STATE SHOULD NOT EMBARK ON STRIKE.” The organized labour described the announcement as a propaganda and blackmail orchestrated by the state Government.

NLC also responded to all the points raised by the state Government, as it stated thus:

1. How can a responsible Government lie, as it said that it has never disengaged any worker in the state, In August 2011 the present regime sacked over 7000 Local Government staff, Over 100 staff of “Nasarawa on the move” The state transport company were fired and company grounded, Where is Lafia hotel and its staff today?

Over 70 were left redundant in Nigeria Newsday, The moribund publishing company, In addition 27 permanent secretaries has been fired since the inception of Al-Makura.

2. States that will not be able to pay workers salaries are not embarking on flamboyant projects that have no relevance to their citizens.

3.On 500 housing units, Al-Makura did not construct a single bedroom for workers instead he was only privileged to re-allocate a project that was initiated and executed by the former Governor, Aliyu Akwe Doma.

4. Since January 2015 Local Government workers are being paid on percentage till date, however it should be noted that salary in percentage is unlawful and any responsible Government should not even contemplate it.
5. To say that workers in the state constitute arejust 1% of the 1.8m people and consume 95% of the statutory allocation thereby leaving 5% for other capital projects is fallacious and a misrepresentation of facts, Workers and their dependents constitute more than 70% of the entire population of Nasarawa state, This can be testified by the fact that economic activities in the state have been paralyzed due to the non-payment of January, 2016 salary.
6. Constant payment of workers salary, it is duty bound on Government to pay salaries constantly to her workers, So long as the monthly statutory allocations from the federation accounts have not being generated, it should also be noted that salary is being earned by workers and not a dash.
7. Payment of N243, 000.00 as monthly salaries to Directors on Grade level 16/9 in the state, This is a requirement of the law, However it should be noted that before the implementation of the new minimum wage, Directors in Nasarawa state were the least paid compared to the their colleagues in other states, More so, How many such categories of workers do we have on the payroll of Nasarawa state Government?.

It should be noted that the implementation of N18, 000 minimum wage is in compliance with the provision of the laws of the national Assembly (New National Minimum Wage Amended Act 2011) and not gesture from the state Government, Since the implementation of the minimum wage in 2011 Government has deliberately refused to grant all employees their promotions and annual increment as required by the public service rule.