The Deputy President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Peters
Adeyemi, has claimed that many state governors are using workers’
salaries for election campaigns.
Adeyemi said this at the weekend in reaction to delayed, distorted or
outright non-payment of salaries to civil servants in many states.
Already, the NLC has reported the cases to the Committee on
Application of Standard of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Adeyemi explained that the NLC decided to expose what was going on in Nigeria because “This arbitrariness needed to be checked”.
“If we cast our mind back, President Buhari, out of pain looked at
governors and asked them, how can you sleep when salaries of workers
remained unpaid”, the Nation quoted him as saying.
“The problem has to do with the fact that the states have become
lords to themselves to the extent that all our president can do is to
lament. Because he is not able to make them do what is right.
“Some of these bailout funds were not used for the purpose they were
used for. We know that at some point in time, the EFCC was trying to
follow up some of those who misused these funds, but we have not gotten
any result.
“What we are saying is that the ILO should send a high powered mission to Nigeria to assert in some of these claims.
“Clearly, we had to put some of these things before the international
community because if, despite his efforts, the president has not been
able to do what is required. Maybe if it is brought to the international
community, people will have reason to begin to think more reasonably
that this is a disgrace to our country.
“How could one possibly defend a situation where somebody work for about seven months or more and they are not paid?
“This report (to the ILO) had to take place now because the rascality
of these governors and politicians will go haywire anytime from now.
“They are not going to think of paying salaries again and every money
that comes in is going to be channeled towards political campaign.
“So, if you don’t get salaries paid now, it is not likely that it
will be paid when campaigns hots up. We needed to cry beyond the shores
of Nigeria because we are all part of the ILO and they have roles to
pay,” the NLC leader added.