NLC Exornerates Aregbesola On Bailout Funds

The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, has given a pass mark to the government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola over his management of the bail out funds received from the federal government.

Mr. Wabba stated this while speaking with Tribune Newspaper in an interview on issues bordering on the anti-labour activities in some of the states, oil pipeline vandalisation, corruption and the demand for new national minimum wage.
“Osun is better.” Mr. Wabba said while answering questions bordering on the use of FG bailout funds.
“You remember we went there to negotiate the payment of the bailout. Even after the bailout, the governor has keep fate with continue payment of salary and transparently put on the table whatever comes in. They have also worked on how to improve the IGR, including setting up a committee that is being chaired by Hassan Sunmonu. So we can say progressively, the issue is under control.”
“There is actually cooperation between the union and the government towards addressing the issue. I think that is quite different from the issue of Imo State. Imo State is not even carrying the workers along; everything is being done by himself, even the payment of the bailout. It has not been transparently done to ensure that everybody is on the same page.” Mr. Waba stated
He continued, “Oyo State also has the same case with Osun, they are also assiduously working with our people. They have arrears, but they are working and making the issue transparent to address it.”
“The other one is Ebonyi State, which we are also planning to visit. He is paying regularly, but he also went ahead to also deduct some percentage from the salary of workers, which cannot be justified and which is not accepted to us. The only challenge is that you cannot also deduct workers salaries without their consent because the salary was negotiated, there is a table and therefore unilaterally, you can’t also go ahead to deduct from workers salary without their consent.”
“The other issue associated to it is that he is also trying to undermine the NLC structure going to obtain a black market pronouncement of court. But all of these, we are handling them and the Central Working Committee (CWC) have already approved that we should visit Imo and Ebonyi states and we have visited Imo and ready to visit Ebonyi because it was the decision of the CWC after taken reports of activities from all the states of the federation. They thought we should be able to visit them and see how we can be able to assist them.”