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Tag: Leonard Nkah

  • Ebonyi NULGE urges state legislators to re-visit LG autonomy bill

    Ebonyi NULGE urges state legislators to re-visit LG autonomy bill

    The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees ( NULGE ) Ebonyi chapter, has urged the Ebonyi House of Assembly to re-visit the constitution amendment, seeking autonomy for local government areas in the country.

    Mr Leonard Nkah, Ebonyi NULGE President, via a statement he issued on Thursday in Abuja, wondered why the lawmakers rejected the amendment.

    Nkah in the statement made available to the News men, was reacting to the outcome of returns from state assemblies on the review of the constitution.

    Report of the Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution submitted by Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, showed that 20 states rejected the amendment.

    The 20 states that  voted against are: Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kwara, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Rivers, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.

    States that gave the yes votes are: Adamawa, Anambra, Abia, Bauchi, Benue, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau and Sokoto states.

    The amendment which was rejected stated that: “A local government council not democratically elected shall not be recognised by all authorities and persons and shall not be entitled to any revenue allocation from the Federation Account or the state government.

    Read Also: NULGE endorses Ayade for 2019

    “It shall not also exercise any function exercisable by a local government council under this Constitution or any law for the time being in force; and shall stand dissolved at the expiration of a period of four years, commencing from the date the members of the council were sworn in.”

    Nkah expressed shock that the Assembly voted against a bill of such importance, where the interest of over 80 per cent Nigerians was said to be left unattended to.

    According to Nkah, the Local Government Autonomy bill ought to be the number one to be voted in favour, but that it is regrettable that the House of Assembly voted “No” to it, but was quick to vote “Yes” for its own financial autonomy.

    “This is rather a selfish action that does no good to the development of the state, leaving the local government to suffer retardation.

    “It is high time members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly rose to their legislative duties like so many other states, that have respected the yearnings and aspirations of the people of Nigeria by voting yes to the long overdue bill,’’ he said.

    Nkah also said that the Union was disappointed by the action, considering the advocacy visit it paid to the House.

    He expressed disappointment that the Assembly decided to give itself a bad name by voting against local government autonomy, in spite of the maximum support and solidarity from the people, especially local government workers.

    The NULGE boss, however, called on the legislators to rekindle the trust the people bestowed on them, by re-visiting the bill to appease majority of the workers who toy day and night for a better Ebonyi.

    Nkah said: “If the honourable members in their thinking understand Local Government Autonomy as a tier that will be existing in a different world and have nothing to do with the state government, then their thinking and understanding is wrong”.

    NAN

  • Nkah urges Waba to recognise him as NLC chairman in Ebonyi

    Nkah urges Waba to recognise him as NLC chairman in Ebonyi

    Mr Leonard Nkah, Acting Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ), Ebonyi chapter, has asked the National President of the union, Ayuba Waba, to recognise him as the authentic chairman in the state.

    Nkah, in a letter to the NLC President, written by his lawyer, Mr Roy Nwaeze, said that the former Chairman, Ikechukwu Nwafor, was constitutionally removed from office.

    Nkah in the letter made available in Abuja, said that Nwafor was removed from office on March 15, 2017, for failure to give account of his stewardship.

    “The Ebonyi NLC executive met, with a quorum of more the 60 per cent, deliberated on the misconduct of Nwafor and his failure and neglect to render account of his stewardship and resolved to suspend him indefinitely.

    Read also: NLC tells workers to vote out defaulting governors

    “ Nwafor was ordered to surrender all the property of the Ebonyi NLC to Nkah.

    “ Notwithstanding the suspension, and even though Nkah had effectively taken over, Nwafor has refused till date, to surrender all the property of Ebonyi NLC to Nkah or render account of his stewardship.’’

    Nwaeze said that rather than hand over as ordered by the NLC executive; Nwafor went to court to challenge his removal.

    He said that one of the prayers sought in the Suit No. NICN/ABK/01/2017, in the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Enugu, was to restrain Nkah, from parading himself as acting chairman, a prayer the court did not grant in its ruling on Nov. 15.

    “ The consequent legal effect of the refusal is that Nkah remains the acting chairman, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

    “ All parties are under compulsive obligation to obey and not derogate from same,’’ Nwaeze noted.

    He urged the NLC president to accord recognition to Nkah, since the facts are clear.

    “ We respectfully demand that you recognise Nkah as acting chairman and cease from further recognizing Nwafor as NLC chairman in Ebonyi, pending determination of Suit No. NICN/ABK/01/2017.’’

    Nwaeze said that he took time to explain issues to avoid being compelled to “ initiate contempt proceeding against any person acting contrary to the court order.

    NAN

  • Robbers attack NLC Chairman’s house, abduct wife

    Robbers attack NLC Chairman’s house, abduct wife

    Armed robbers on Sunday attacked the residence of Nigerian Union of Labour, Ebonyi state chapter Chairma, Mr Leonard Nkah at Mile 50 Abakaliki.

    The robbers, five in number stormed the residence of the Chairman in the evening of Saturday and ransacked the house and took away some valuables including some undisclosed amount of cash.

    Mr Nkah in a chat with The Nation confirmed the incident but noted that he was not around when the robbers struck.

    “I was called by my wife around 9pm that robbers came to our house and demanded for my whereabouts. They said they got information that there was money that was brought in and that they need the money. They forced her to lie down despite the fact that she was pregnant. They ransacked the house and took whatever they could find but they were disappointed that there was no such huge amount of money in my house”

    He lamented that the robbers physically attacked and abducted his wife and later dumped her in a bush.

    “They assaulted my house help who opened the door when they came in, they also assaulted my wife and later abducted her. They beat her up while forcing her to lie down with her pregnancy which was difficult for her. They took her to other residents in the area where they also robbed before dumping her in the bush”

    “I thank God I wasn’t there, if I was there maybe it may have been a different story. They had information that I had huge sum of money. I was gathering resources to organise this reception for the Governor today, maybe some people told them I have money”.

    Mr Nkah urged the police to beef up security in the state during the Christmas to checkmate the activities of the criminals.

    Also, a journalist, Mr Moses Erogu of Ebonyi State Broadcasting Corporation, EBBC, had his house bugged on Sunday Morning by unknown criminals.

    Speaking to our Reporter, Mr Erogu, who is the Government House Abakaliki Correspondent of EBBC said the incident happened when he and the family were in the Church.

    “I took my family to 6am mass and from there I went to work. Later my wife called me to come home and when I got there I saw that they broke into the house and ransacked the house, took away some valuables including a phone belonging to my sister and some cash in the house”.

    Mr Erogu, whose building is located behind the state House of Assembly at Nkaliki lamented the increasing rate of criminal activities in the area and called on the police to do more to secure the area.

    Police spokesman in the area, Loveth Odah could not be reached for comments for comments.

    But Special Assistant to Governor David Umahi on Internal security, Kenneth Ugbala confirmed the incident to our Reporter.

  • Umahi approves payment of two years leave allowance for Ebonyi workers – NLC

    Umahi approves payment of two years leave allowance for Ebonyi workers – NLC

    The Nigerian Labour Congress ( NLC ) in Ebonyi, says the approval given by Gov. Dave Umahi for the payment of workers’ 2016/2017 leave allowances will enhance productivity.

    The state NLC Chairman, Mr Leonard Nkah, on Friday in Abakaliki, said that the approval was a welcome development.

    “We have been negotiating with the government on the issue of the payment of arrears of workers’ leave allowances and other statutory workers’ entitlements; and we are happy that the governor has graciously approved the payment.

    “The action will not only motivate the workers to greater productivity, it will also enhance more service delivery.

    “Workers have been subjected to more hardship with their families and other dependents, suffering excruciating pains under the present economic recession.

    “The payment of the leave allowances will no doubt alleviate the sufferings and ensure that they put in their best.

    “We commend and congratulate the governor for keeping to his promises to better the welfare and wellbeing of the Ebonyi workers, ” Nkah said.

    Nkah, who is also the President, Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees ( NULGE ), Ebonyi chapter, said NLC would continue to engage the state government in constructive dialogue on matters concerning workers’ welfare.

    He said that payment of workers’ promotion arrears and lifting of embargo on promotion were being discussed and would soon be addressed by government.

    The chairman urged workers to be more dedicated to their duties, promote work efficiency and avoid acts that could impact negatively on service delivery.

    Workers in Ebonyi were yet to receive entitlements accruing from their annual leave since the inception of the present administration on May 29, 2015.

    NAN

  • Umahi accuses civil servants of illegal collection of leave allowance

    Umahi accuses civil servants of illegal collection of leave allowance

    Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi has accused civil servants in the state of illegal collection of leave allowances from 2011 to 2015.

    He also said that he would report the issue to the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ) national leadership if the organised labour in the state failed to acknowledge the development and seek an amicable resolution of the issue.

    Umahi levied the accusation against the state workforce on Thursday in Abakaliki during an interactive session with representatives of labour unions and the Christian Association of Nigeria ( CAN ) Ebonyi chapter.

    According to the governor, continued payment of leave allowance to workers in that state was illegal since it has been covered in the consolidated salary structure which they receive.

    “Civil servants have forgotten that I was the deputy governor during the immediate past administration in the state which paid the allowance.

    “I mediated in the labour and state government dispute and know everything about consolidated salary payments having done all the calculations concerning it.

    “The immediate past administration paid until I took over and the state Accountant General and my Commissioner for Finance continued the payment with no one asking questions.

    “The civil servants intentionally did such thing but I came with the anointing of God who revealed the development to me,” he said.

    The governor threatened to report the state branch of the Nigerian Labour Congress ( NLC ) to its national leadership except the state workers accept that they owe the government.

    “We will discuss with the representatives of the workers and if you accept that workers owe the government, we will resolve all areas of differences.

    “We would, however, invite the national leadership of the NLC to the state if you insist that workers are being owed leave allowance because you are not telling the people the truth.

    “The state accountant general is directed to calculate the whole amount we have lost on leave allowances and if there is no consolidation on the leave, we would know what it is supposed to be on yearly basis,” he said.

    He advised the state civil servants to understand that the government cared about their welfare but that whatever accrued to the state was for all sectors and not only for them.

    “When we therefore pay higher salaries than other states with bigger assets and oil deposits, then we are supposed to be pitied,” he said.

    Prof. Bernard Odoh, Secretary to the State Government (SSG) urged workers in the state to focus less on salary increment and engage in entrepreneurial ventures to make ends meet.

    “There is no amount of salary that would solve all needs of workers and the emphasis should be in supplementing their earnings through entrepreneurial ventures.

    “This is the case in states such as Anambra where I lived as I urge the state’s committee on accessing the Bank of Industry (BOI) funds, to expedite action for workers to access it.

    “They should immediately release the first tranche to workers so that people would see its impact and become interested in accessing it,” he said.

    Mr Leonard Nkah, state NLC Chairman, thanked the governor for his concern for the workers and pleaded that all issues of disagreement between labour and government be settled amicably.

    “We feel that this matter has not reached the state of inviting the NLC national leadership as we felt that since the issue of consolidation was implemented, it was justified,” he said.

    NAN