The Deputy President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Issa Aremu, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that state governors, who collected bailouts from the Federal Government, utilise the funds judiciously.
Aremu, who is a member of the Joe Ajaero faction of the NLC, said all the governors that collected bailouts should be made to sign an undertaking that they would use the funds to pay workers’ salaries.
Speaking in an interview with journalists in Ilorin on Sunday, Aremu recalled that the bailout was meant for the payment of workers’ salaries.
He commended the governors who paid their workers their monthly salaries which enabled them to celebrate the Sallah festival.
Aremu, however, said it was regrettable that despite the Federal Government’s gesture, thousands of workers had yet to be paid their full salaries.
He added that many children of Nigerian workers were left hungry during the Sallah holiday.
He urged the governors who had yet to pay their workers to pay up in order to avoid industrial unrest.
Aremu said, “Ramadan is about sacrifice. However, for many workers, it was sacrifice before Ramadan and continuation of deprivation after Ramadan. This is unacceptable.
“Debtor states should pay up or face the wrath of workers everywhere. President Muhammadu Buhari should ensure that governors sign performance/service delivery bonds with firm commitment to use the money to pay workers’ salaries.”
He said Nigeria could not guarantee productivity and prosperity with the current level of deprivation and poverty of the workers.
Aremu said, “Nigeria governments at all levels should immediately initiate emergency and sustainable policies to reduce the current poverty level. Failure to do this might lead to mass uprising, capable of undermining Nigeria’s young democracy. Unpaid workers are hungry workers. Hungry workers are angry workers.”
Source: Punch
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