Cross River Govt, Workers Differ Over N7.856 Billion Bailout Funds

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) N7.856 billion bailout funds to Cross River State is being trailed by confusion and controversies as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Cross River State Government are singing discordant tunes just as market women are lamenting “bad market”.

The union had directed its members to commence an indefinite strike action with effect from October 2 But the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) an affiliate of the NLC in the state has disassociated itself from the strike saying the “NUT was not invited to the meeting” of September 28, and moreover the state government has not received the bailout fund.
  
The NLC has accused the State Government of collecting the bailout fund meant for the payment of salary arrears and diverted same for the settlement of loans, thereby failed to meet their demands and purpose the money was meant for But the Special Assistant Media/Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Christian Ita on Thursday insisted that the money was not collected yet.
 
He had earlier quoted as saying, “We are waiting for the money. We have not received it yet, but we are expecting it any moment from now. We are borrowing money to pay debts we owed. The state is not owing workers’ salaries because we borrow money to pay them. So right now we need the bailout fund to pay the debts we owe.
  
“Since Governor Ben Ayade came on board he has made sure salaries are paid in time, so the state needs to pay back those loans. The Federal allocation when it comes is less than what we need to pay salaries.  So even when it comes we are in deficit. So we need bailout to pay back what we borrowed.”
  
Consequently the joint meeting of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Public Service, Negotiating Council, held September 28 in Calabar has directed all its affiliate members in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to stay at home with effect from Thursday this week should the State Government fail to resume negotiations with the State Labour Congress on burning issues affecting workers in the State.
 
The workers have alleged that the state government was planning to use the bailout fund to offset liabilities incurred during the political campaign period and other issues not budgeted for in the name of settling debts and this was not acceptable.
 
On Wednesday the labour leaders in the state met with the State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade but the meeting ended in a deadlock as the governor was said to have been peeved with the demands of the unions and stormed out of the meeting immediately after his address.
 
The State Governor at the meeting insisted that the bailout fund was not received yet and he should be appreciated for being able to pay the state civil servants’ salary up to date.

The State Chairman of Joint Service Negotiating Council, Comrade Thomas Igbang who issued a statement on the outcome of the meeting with the governor on Wednesday said, “all I can say is that the meeting ended inconclusive, because we did not come to conclusion on any issue that we raised with the government. For us it’s inconclusive.”

Also commenting on the bailout fund and how it affects workers in the state after the inconclusive meeting with the governor, the State NLC Chairman, Comrade John Ushie said before now, the governor never granted them audience to sort out the issues until they had to resort to strike.
   
He said, “the strike is organized by the Joint Council, but as affiliates we are giving them the covering fire, so we just came out from a meeting with the government of Cross River State. We met with the deputy governor and it was smooth and it was going well in the way of negotiations and he pleaded we should meet with the governor. We waited for a long time and when he came and met us he expressed disappointment because he said he has done a lot for Cross River and thought the workers would appreciate that but we did not.
 
“We also let them know things are difficult for workers. Workers are getting loans from banks. That is how they are managing to survive, because the salaries we collect today in the service cannot take us.

“Therefore these workers assess loans from the bank and for the fact that the state government has refused to remit loans that were deducted from them to the banks, the bank has refused to give them loans. Many of them have come to my office to cry. So we appeal to the government to release what is due the workers. That is not government money. It is the money of the workers. That is what we are asking for. It is not something new”.
  
On his part, the Unit Chairman, Nigerian Civil Service Union (NCSU), Mrs. Comfort Okwe, appraised the leadership of Prof. Ben Ayade and urged the Union members to remain calm, assuring them of governments’ commitment to the yearnings of its workers but a State Ex-Official member, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigerian (ASSN), Monday Ogbodum, maintained that, “workers welfare is uncompromising” and there was the need to quickly review the performance and status of various sectors in the State with a view to improving services.
  
The NUT in a letter to the NLC Chairman dated September 29, signed by its State Chairman, Comrade Eyo Itam and Secretary, Comrade Livinus Omini said, “the sit at home strike at this moment is not healthy at this moment especially when you have not created opportunity for the organised labour to meet with the new state government.