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Tag: Abdullahi Adeka

  • Nasarawa NLC impeaches embattled chairman

    Nasarawa NLC impeaches embattled chairman

    The Executive Council of the Nasarawa State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has impeached its embattled Chairman, Abdullahi Adeka.

    A statement signed by Ahmed Naibi, the Secretary, said that Adeka was removed for announcing the suspension of the strike, immediately after his reinstatement.

    It said that the “surprising” action violated the resolutions reached at the NLC headquarters as a condition for his reinstatement.

    “In the meeting held at our national secretariat in Abuja on May 23, we all agreed that Adeka must sustain the strike. That was a condition for his reinstatement.

    “We also agreed that his mother union, the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, and all other affiliates of the NLC, must join the strike to maximise its effect.

    “But, instead of sustaining and widening the strike, Adeka announced its suspension, a day after he was reinstated,” the statement said.

    The statement declared that Adeka, by that action, had demonstrated that he was not a trustworthy leader.

    “We have resolved that he stands impeached; Bala Umaru, his deputy, is now the substantive Chairman of NLC in Nasarawa State,” the statement declared.

    It said that the strike action would continue and advised workers to await further directive from the new leadership.

    Some executive council members, who spoke with NAN, accused Adeka of “clearly taking sides with the government”, with many describing his action as “shocking”.

    Adeka had been suspended from office on May 21, when he suddenly declared an end to the strike without due consultation.

    He was reinstated on May 23, after the headquarters intervened, but went on air on May 24, to announce the end of the strike without consulting with other members of the executive council.

    The workers have been on strike since May 12, over the non payment of their salaries.

  • Al-Makura urges workers to call off strike

    Al-Makura urges workers to call off strike

    Gov. Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has urged striking workers to call off their strike in the interest of peace and for the socio-economic development of the state.

    Al-Makura made the appeal on Monday in Lafia during a meeting with some stakeholders to commemorate 18 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria.

    “As far as I am concerned, there is no strike in Nasarawa state now and any worker hiding in his bedroom is doing that at his or her own risk,’’ he however warned.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the NLC Chairman in the state, Mr Abdullahi Adeka, had on May 26 announced the suspension of the strike, saying the state government has started implementing their demands.

    However, on May 27, a factional NLC Chairman, Mr Bala Umar, asked workers to continue with the strike, insisting that the government was yet to meet up with their demands.

    The workers are demanding for full payment of their salary arrears, promotion and enhanced condition of service.

    Commenting on the development, the governor said that the meeting was aimed at appreciating, recognising and acknowledging the contributions of those that served and are still serving the state since when he assumed office in 2011.

    Al-Makura said that the strike, which was embarked upon by the organised labour, has a political motive.

    “As a matter of fact, the master minds behind the strike are people completely belonging from opposition political parties.

    “The strike is only to sabotage government efforts; if not why is that children whose parents are APC, PDP, APGA, Labour Party, among others, want to be denied opportunity to studies.

    “We thank the Ministry of Education and the government that make the necessary arrangement to make sure that the students study without hitches,” he said.

    Al-Makura pointed out that his administration in the past six years have recorded landmark achievements in the areas of development in the state capital and with a drive in rural areas through the provision of basic social amenities and infrastructure to curb rural/urban migration.

    He assured the stakeholders and the people of the state on his unalloyed drive for development which, according to him, has resulted to key infrastructural improvement.

    “The contributions of various stakeholders in the state have help in bringing to success the gains of democracy which we all celebrate today,” he added.

    According to him, since the birth of his administration, road network, construction of schools, hospitals and markets, among other key infrastructures, has in no small measure top government programmes.

    The governor renewed the commitment of his administration to continue to create infrastructures that would have direct bearing on the lives of the people of the state.

    NAN also reports that the meeting brought together past and present political office holders who served the state at various levels.

  • Nasarawa NLC decries salaries delay, lack of promotion

    The Nasarawa State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has decried the “unnecessary delays” in the payment of salaries to civil servants in the state.

    The NLC also expressed disgust that no worker had been promoted “in the last six years”.

    Mr Abdullahi Adeka, NLC Chairman in the state, voiced the workers’ concerns at the 4th Quadrennial State Delegates Conference of Nasarawa State Chapter of the Association of Senior Civil Servant of Nigeria (ASCSN), in Lafia.

    The NLC Chairman, who was represented by Yusuf Sarki-Iya, the Treasurer, said that such delays had subjected workers to lots of hardship.

    “The situation is appalling; government will just deliberately delay salaries for up to four months before they pay for one month.

    “Another issue of concern is that no worker in Nasarawa State has been promoted in the last six years.

    “Also, no worker has been given annual increment and there has been no attention to staff development in terms of training, in the last six years,” he added.

    He said that government was killing the civil service by categorising it into two – senior and junior civil servants – and explained that stagnation had stalled carrier progression, created a vacuum and wiped out the middle cadre.

    Adeka regretted that outstanding salaries, pensions and gratuities had not been paid in spite of the Paris Club Refund that came with a categorical instruction that the payments be effected.

    “Government recently released N300 million for the payment of gratuity of some retirees, but the money is grossly insufficient and certainly not up to half of the Paris Club Refund,” he said.

    Also speaking, Mr Gabriel Agbashi of the Trade Union Congress, rejected suggestions that Nasarawa was poor and lacked sufficient money to meet its obligations.

    “The only problem in Nasarawa State is that government does not consider workers’ welfare as its priority. We work in this state and have all records on how much is in the coffers of the state,” he said.

    He urged government to pay salaries promptly and also promote civil servants to avoid stagnation that had lowered morale.

    Responding, Mr Thomas Ogiri, Nasarawa State Head of Service, urged patience from the workers.

    “Government is working hard to improve workers’ welfare. The workers should just exercise some patience,” he said.

    He said that government had always carried NLC leaders along, saying that all actions were usually based on agreement reached with labour.