Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Kogi, Anambra, Benue, Bayelsa NLC chapters condemn killing of Nasarawa workers

By Uzoma Nzeagwu (Awka), John Akubo (Lokoja) and Joseph Wantu (Makurdi), Julius Osahon (Yenagoa) and Chuwang Emmanuel (Lafia)
24 August 2016   |   4:40 am
The Kogi, Anambra and Benue chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday staged peaceful protests to condemn the July 29, 2016 killing of two of the members, Aliyu Abdullahi Umbugadu and Rabiu Mohammed Hamza....

 

 

•Gov halts pay cut exercise

The Kogi, Anambra and Benue chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday staged peaceful protests to condemn the July 29, 2016 killing of two of the members, Aliyu Abdullahi Umbugadu and Rabiu Mohammed Hamza, by the police in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

State chairmen of congress, Onuh Edoka, Jerry Nnubia and Ngodoo Toryem, who addressed workers in Lokoja, Awka and Makurdi, flayed the ‘brutal killing’ and injury on others at the front of the Nasarawa Government House during a gathering to contest the alleged plan by Governor Tanko Al-Makura to slash salaries contesting by 50 per cent.

They challenged the Federal Government, the Inspector General of Police and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to urgently investigate the incident and ensure that the culprits face justice to serve as deterrent to others.Nnubia said the state government should take full responsibility for the education and training of the deceased’s children as well as the medical bills of the injured.

Toryem used the occasion to call on Governor Samuel Ortom to offset salaries and pensions owed since February this year.Edoka noted that the trade union movement was a leading light in the struggle that culminated in the nation’s democracy.

He regretted that beneficiaries of the revolution, especially the governors, had allegedly become autocratic to the extent of deploying security forces against defenseless workers who were only asking for their legitimate entitlements.

“Our governors have become military people in civilian uniforms. Government should not use the security forces to oppress the people. Government should treat workers with dignity and sense of respect because they are the ones that voted them into power,” he remarked.

Edoka urged workers to remain united against injustice, cautioning that no amount of intimidation and coercion should sway them.Also, the Bayelsa State chapter yesterday protested the killing.State chairman, Ndiomu John-Bipre, spoke the minds of the workers at a rally in Yenagoa.

Meanwhile, Governor Al-Makura has suspended the salary cut exercise. NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, broke the news yesterday in Lafia, while addressing workers at the state Labour House.He explained that after the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Al-Makura conceded and would compensate families of the dead workers.

0 Comments