The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has advised pensioners to use their votes to punish governors that have refused to pay pensions at the forthcoming general elections.
The President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba gave the advice at the 12th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the congress in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said that since the Federal Government had shown good example by releasing bail out, budget support and Paris Club refunds to states, the governors had no reasonable excuse not to pay pensioners.
The NLC leader therefore urged the pensioners to show such governors a “red card” with their permanent voter’s cards (PVC).
Wabba said, “Government workers in some states are owed arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities despite the bailout, budget support and Paris Club Refund to states.
“Despite the money released by the Federal Government for states to offset salary liabilities, some states refused to clear their salary arrears.
“In the past four years, the NLC embarked on a number of industrial actions in states that were owing workers arrears of salaries. The NLC organized protest marches in Imo, Kogi, Nasarawa, Oyo, Osun, Ebonyi, Kaduna and Benue states to protest the poor working conditions of workers.
“We commend the Federal Government for releasing about N1.9 trillion to state governments through bailout, budget support and Paris club refund.
“The release of about N1.9 trillion in the form of bailout, budget support and Paris Club Refund assisted greatly in addressing the non-payment of salary, pensions and gratuity in many states especially worker-friendly State Governors.
“ In some few instances, the funds were diverted and the situation has not been fully addressed. A report from the EFCC and ICPC give credence to this position.
“Give red card to any state governor still owing backlog of unpaid pension in the forthcoming 2019 general elections.”
He added, “We must not fail to commend states that applied the bailout funds for the purpose they were meant for. These states include Jigawa, Plateau, Kebbi, Katsina, Yobe, Delta, Enugu, Sokoto, Lagos, Rivers, Cross River, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, Taraba among others. We shall continue to demand for accountability at all levels.”
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