The Imo State Government has denied owing workers salaries as claimed by a group, Ndi-Igbo Unity Forum and dismissed the ultimatum issued to Governor Rochas Okoroacha to pay.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sam Onwuemeodo in a statement on Sunday said “the truth, and the whole truth is that, Governor Okorocha or the Imo State Government has paid workers in the state upto February, 2016, and that of March is about to begin.”
” Anybody or any group that worths being called a group that has any contrary claim to make based on facts and figures should come up with it. In Imo, the government of Governor Okorocha does not tell lies.
” We tell our audience the truth at all times, to the glory of God. We sympathize with these enemies of good works and ask God to have mercy on them,” Onwuemeodo stated.
While stating that the group that issued the statement was as fictitious , the Chief Press Secretary said it was not able to convince their audience on their genuiness by stating their stake and the particulars of the salary arrears and allowances they had talked about.
He said it was ironical that the group made its allegations after the State Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) , Comrade Austin Chilakpu while making his speech during the Workers’ May Day Celebration commended Governor Okorocha for not owing workers in the state salary arrears like it is the case in some other states.
” Those scratching Governor Okorocha have always ended up displaying their weakness both mentally and spiritually. They are always petty because they have no valid claim to make against Governor Okorocha and the Rescue Mission Government he superintends.”
Tag: workers
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Imo not owing workers salaries, dismisses ultimatum
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Don’t lose faith in Nigeria, Atiku tells workers
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has urged Nigerian workers not to lose faith in the ability of the nation under the leadership of President Buhari to surmount these odds.
In his May Day message to Nigerian workers, the former Vice President also proposed a fairer deal for workers in order to reduce the frequency of strikes in the country, which he regrets takes a heavy toll on the economy.
He said that notwithstanding the huge challenges the country and its people are facing, it will take the support of everyone working in tandem with the Buhari administration to lift the economy out of the doldrums.
“President Buhari alone cannot turnaround the fortunes of the country. It requires everyone – elected and appointed officials, the legislature and the judiciary, the public and private sectors and ordinary Nigerians – working together in faith and commitment to bring about the desired change”, he said
The APC chieftain argued that President Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade when combined with curbing wastages and profligacy will free much-needed resources to jumpstart the economy by investing in infrastructure and high jobs yielding sectors especially agriculture as proposed by the government.
He reminded the workers that the envisaged better deal for them is intrinsically tied to increased productivity.
“With dwindling revenue from oil, it has become imperative for us to bake a bigger cake that will be big enough for all partakers. To achieve this, we need to be more creative as a government and more productive as a people.”
He maintained that observed that improved conditions of service for workers would help to reduce corruption and fraud among employees, pointing out that it is impossible to convince workers to make sacrifices while the public office holders live a life that is inconsistent with the economic realities of Nigeria.
“We all need to make sacrifices in line with the realities of the time. It is not enough to ask workers to make sacrifices while public office holders are ostensibly immune from it. Such a situation promotes industrial disharmony,” he said. -
Group gives Okorocha ultimatum to pay Imo workers
Ndigbo Unity Forum, an Igbo socio-cultural group, has given Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo an ultimatum of 60 days to pay workers outstanding salaries and allowances.
This is contained in a statement signed by the President of the forum, Mr Augustine Chukwudum, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Sunday.
It described as unfortunate that after receiving bailout funds from the Federal Government, which the governors and their cabinet agreed was enough to settle workers, would divert such money.
The statement said such action was the height of insensitivity in a democratic setting that holds a lot of good promises for the people.
“On South East, we observed that the Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo state notwithstanding bailout funds that runs into billions that he received from the Federal Government that he still owes workers in the state many months salary.
“We demand that Gov. Rochas Okorocha should pay workers in Imo state their salary within sixty days,’’ it said.
The statement warned that coalition of civil societies would soon mobilise for the mother of all demonstration in Imo, if the governor failed to heed to the advice. -
Aero sacks 100 employeees
Aero Contractors Friday sacked over 100 workers from its payroll industry sources hinted.
But, the airline according to statement by its public relations consultants, SY& T said it only reviewed its contract with the out sourcing firm: SBL.
Most of those affected by the sack, according to a source were support staff who have spent few years with the airline.A source close to the airline who didn’t want his name in print confirmed the development.
The statement from the airline consultants, reads “In the course of reorganizing and repositioning its business, Aero Contractors has reviewed its relationship with Skyborne by cutting down some of the serves required from the company. This will help the company to invest more resources to enhance customer service. For the record Aero has not sacked any of its staff.”
But, a source said those affected by the development were contract staff whose contract have expired with the company.
The source added that some departments and workers were outsourced by the management, stressing that since the airline no longer required their services, it was pertinent for them to be relieved of their jobs, insisting that no staff of the airline was affected by the management decision.
The source insisted that what the organization did was not to sack workers, but reduce workforce especially those whose their services were no longer required by the airline.
The source said that the reduction in staff cut across all the departments in the company and equally confirmed that over 100 personnel were affected by the decision.
He said, “Those laid off were not staff of our airline. You know in Aero, some departments and duties are outsourced. Son what the management did was not to renew their contracts once it expired.
“I can tell you that our staff are intact and we don’t have the plans to retrench workers. We didn’t have the need of those outsourced and we felt they should be withdrawn from our services.”
A letter to one of the affected workers said that the sack was as a result of the ongoing restructuring in the airline.
The letter reads in part: “Dear colleague, in the light of the ongoing restructuring at Aero, we regret to inform you that your services are no longer required and employment with SBL terminated with immediate effect.
“Please, return all company properties to your Manager/Supervisor by 8am on 28/04/2016. We regret any inconvenience caused.”
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NLC cautions Kano on workers’ verification
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kano State has urged the state government to re-examine the list of ghost workers detected during its ongoing workers’ verification.
Its Chairman in the state, Malam Kabiru Minjibir, made the call at a briefing in Kano.
He said there was a need for the government to take cognisance of the fact that some workers were on training outside the country.
“Also, some pensioners are not residing in the country after their service, yet they are pensioners in the state. We also identified some mix-up in the data provided by some government organs as part of their staff lists.
“It will interest you to know that my humble self, the number one labour leader in the state after duly being captured in my area of assignment on March 18, was among the 7, 629 staff who did not appear for the exercise,” he said.
According to Minjibir, many staff in active service, including directors, had been identified in the lists as those who have not been captured.
He said the union in the state would not take it lightly if any of its genuine workers or pensioners was deleted from government’s payroll.
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Enugu workers absolve Ugwuanyi of misusing bailout cash
Enugu State workers, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) have debunked a statement by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) that the state government misapplied Federal Government’s bailout fund to settle outstanding salaries and pensions.
The unions noted that “Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, from onset, involved the organised labour in the management of the N4.207 million bailout fund, being the actual amount approved for the state for the settlement of outstanding salaries and pensions of the public servants”.
They said the state government did not misapply the fund, as ICPC reportedly said.
The ICPC had listed Enugu State among the states that allegedly misapplied Federal Government’s bailout funds meant to offset backlog of workers’ salaries and pensions.
Reacting to the allegation in a statement jointly signed by NLC State Chairman Virginus C. Nwobodo; TUC/JPSNC Chairman Igbokwe Chukwuma Igbokwe and JPSNC Secretary Theo. O. Obasiani described the allegation as “false and misleading”.
They also called it a “deliberate attempt to instigate workers and good people of Enugu State against the state government as well as tarnish the good image of the state”.
The statement added: “The Organised Labour in Enugu State is seriously embarrassed by the false, unfounded and malicious publication purported to have emanated from the office of the ICPC.”
“A committee, comprising Labour and government was set up to verify, monitor and disburse the funds to the beneficiaries.
“As at the time referred to by the newspaper publication of (February 29), over 60 per cent of the fund has been disbursed to the beneficiaries on items A – D…, while the verification and disbursement is still ongoing till May 31, as some of the beneficiaries (pensioners) are yet to show up for verification.”
Expressing its satisfaction with the management of the N4.207 billion bailout fund for the payment of arrears of pensions and salaries, Labour pledged to partner the state government for good governance and sustainable development.
Also, the Enugu State Government, through its Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Elder Gabriel Ajah, denied the alleged misapplication of the bailout fund.
It presented a detailed account of how the fund was disbursed, saying the government did not misapply the cash.
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Three abducted Osun workers freed
Three Osun State government officials abducted last Friday by unidentified gunmen on the Obajana-Lokoja Road in Kogi State on their way from an official assignment in Abuja have regained their freedom.
A terse statement by the Head of Service, Sunday Olayinka Owoeye, said the victims were released yesterday.
He said they are in police custody in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.
Owoeye said: “Arrangements are now being made to convey them to Osogbo, the state capital, within the shortest possible time by security agents with a view to re-uniting them with their families and relations.
However, there was no detail of how the three officials were rescued.
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Union advocates workers’, employers’ partnership
President, Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSEAC), Mr. Chris Okonkwo, has urged employers and workers to work together to drive productivity and elevate the power sector.
The acknowledgment of workers’labour and constitutional rights, he said, could not be undermined because they are pivotal to ensuring efficiency in the sector.
Okonkwo, who spoke at the association’s inaugural National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Lagos, said: “Employers should begin to see workers as partners in progress. It is only when they do this that their profiteering capability can be guaranteed. Companies by default are sabotaging themselves because you have to do what you are supposed to do first before you talk about what someone is doing to undo what you have done.”
He said picketing is a tool in labour recognised by all conventions as a means of showing grievances against management or government. Picketing, he said, does not mean sabotage and can only be if the intention is to blackmail workers to surrender their rights and allow them to be manipulated.
The association, according to him, is working with the Ministry of Labour on a meeting over the sacking of 400 workers by an electricity distribution company (DisCo).
Okonkwo lamented that the aftermath of the sector’s privatisation was adverse, explaining that workers are bearing the brunt of companies’ failure to make adequate provision during the transition.
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UNN workers protest over unpaid allowance
University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) workers have protested non-payment of their Christmas allowance. They have given the management a 21-day ultimatun to pay. The ultimatum expires next week, reports JAMES OJO (300-Level Mass Communication).
WORKERS of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) are agitating for the payment of their Christmas allowance. Last week, members of the institution’s chapter of Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Non-Academic Staff of Nigeria Universities (NASU) protested over the matter.
They gave the management 21 days to pay the allowance and threatened to close the school, if they are not paid. The ultimatum was issued at an emergency “joint congress” at the Margaret Ekpo Convocation Arena, after which they embarked on the protest.
During the meeting, which lasted for an hour, the workers complained about the non-payment of their 2015 Christmas allowance. It was gathered that the school has a tradition of paying senior staff N20,000 and their junior counterparts N10,000 allowance.
But, the school failed to pay the allowance last Christmas. In compensation, it was learnt that the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Benjamin Ozumba, directed that live chickens be given to the workers last Easter.
This did not go down well with the unions, which queried the management decision, arguing that the cost of chickens was not commensurate with their allowance.
Speaking at the congress, SSANU chairman Comrade Paul Arua said giving chickens to workers was laudable, but noted that it would be better if their allowances are added to the gifts. He implored management to pay the Christmas allowance together with their March salaries.
The workers threatened to go on strike if the issue was not addressed.
Addressing the protesters at the VC’s office, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Administration, Prof Edwin Igbokwe, said management was sensitive to their plight. He said management has not received the memo said to have been sent to the VC on the issue. He said a committee had been set up to look into the matter.
On the distribution of live chickens, Prof Igbokwe said: “The live chickens were merely the VC’s gesture to all workers of the university during Easter. It will not prevent the payment of Christmas allowance to all staff.”
He urged the workers to shelve their planned strike and support the management in its effort to maintain peace in the school.
The workers returned to the Margret Ekpo Convocation Arena to deliberate on Prof Igbokwe’s pledge.
The workers hope management would pay the allowance with their salaries. One of them, Mr Egwuagu Ejike, said the congress achieved its objective. He said: “I think the congress is a good one. This is the first time all unions in the university came together to take a decision. So, I think it is a positive one and I am hopeful that the outcome would be positive, too.”
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APC sympathises with Ondo workers
The All Progressive Congress(APC) in Ondo State has emphatised with workers who have not been paid in the last five months.
A statement by the party’s Director of Media and Publicity, Steve Otaloro, said: “This development has almost paralysed the civil service as many civil servants now sit at home for lack of transport fares to their offices.
“This has had an adverse effect on the state’s economic activities, which are now at the lowest ebb in the state’s history.
“We have it on good authority that part of the reasons workers have not been paid is because the governor is desirously bothered on how to plant a surrogate to succeed him and cover up his maladministration.
“The government had received several billions of Naira in loans from various financial institutions that were not properly utilised and this had consequently collapsed the state’s finances and almost rendered it insolvent.
“It is obvious the present administration is bereft of ideas on how to manage the state’s economy. It is also sheer wickedness on the part of the government which owes workers only to be seen busy making plans for his succession without showing concern to the plight of workers.
“Our sympathy goes to the suffering workers and the people in this trying period in our history. We can only comfort you not to lose hope, the horizon looks good as better days are just around the corner.”