By Ummi Ismaeel, Minna
Campaign for Democracy (CD) has called on the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubarkar Sani Bello of the All Progressive Congress (APC), to qut office if he cannot pay workers as civil servants insist that their salaries must be paid in full.
The state government and the workers have been at daggers’ drawn over the administration’s claims that it could no longer sustain payment of full salaries, while opting for percentage payment until its financial fortunes improve.
Besides, stakeholders’ meeting at the instance of Governor Bello on Wednesday ended without a consensus between government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as the later insisted on full payment of workers’ salaries.
But in a show of solidarity to the administration, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state has endorsed the 70/30 percent salary formula ‘so that 30 percent of the total income from the federal allocation goes for capital projects.
The party’s acting chairman, Mohammed Liman, conveyed the party’s position when he led other executive members of the party to observe Iftaar (breaking of fast) with Bello.
He said, ‘‘APC passed vote of confidence on the governor’s ability in managing the affairs of the state.’’
Bello during the meeting promised to offer percentage payments which entails; releasing 70 percent of the total sum from the federation allocation to them and utilizing the remaining 30 percent for other purposes, an offer the NLC rejected.
Workers retreated to Labour house along IBB Way and mobilized members for a showdown but were barred by the police who barricaded all routes to prevent workers from protesting against what they termed ‘‘anti-labour’’ stance of the Bello administration.
Meanwhile, the NLC, state government imbroglio has brought about uneasy calm among civil servants in the state as workers may down tool if there is no solution to the face-off which has attracted wide condemnations from other stakeholders against the Bello led administration.
But, Campaign for Democracy (CD) had argued that the explanations by Governor Sani Bello for his inability to pay salaries of workers is not justifiable but a sign of administrative inconsistencies of the APC administration.
The CD executive Secretary, Abdullahi Jabi, faulted Bello administration and called for his resignation if he cannot manage state resources to pay workers’ salaries in barely one year in office.
Jabi argued that the face-off between the state government and workers goes a long way to show that there is graveyard peace between government and NLC despite all the lies that all was well and again, it shows administrative incompetency in managing the state resources.
“Paying workers’ their salaries is their statutory right and obligation under the constitution. It is legal and violation of contractual agreement between labour and employers to pay salaries as at and when due to avoid subjecting workers to unnecessary pains”, Jabi said.
According to Jabi, “You don’t subject workers to slavery, hunger and untimely deaths due to frustrations as a result of non-payment of their salaries. We shall mobilize all civil society organizations in Niger State to join workers in the state strike on mass action against bad government policy of exploitation”.