Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has vowed to withdraw the services of its members from all duties if the Federal High Court judgement that barred Central Bank of Nigeria from paying allocation to Rivers State affects the well-being of its members. The Rivers State Council of NLC took this position during an emergency meeting in Port Harcourt, Thursday, attended by labour leaders. The Chairman of NLC in the state, Alex Agwanwo, who addressed pressmen after the meeting, said the council totally condemned the decision on court stopping the state’s allocation. Agwanwo said the council considered the decision of court and found out that the judge who entered the judgement did not consider the interest on the entirety of the people of the state, describing it as anti-development. The labour leader opined that the judgement lacked human face and empathy, adding that workers will be affected heavily.
He said “yesterday, there is a court judgement stopping the state allocation. As a state council we have looked at the issues. We totally condemn that judgement. The judgement lacks human face . The judgement lacks empathy. The judge did not put the citizens and workers of Rivers State into consideration before giving the judgment. Everybody knows what taking allocation away from a state will look like. It will put the state into suffering. It will disrupt governance in a state because governance will not take place without fund.” Agwanwo said the judgement would affect governance and projects in the state, stating that governance cannot thrive without allocation. He urged the court to reverse the judgement, noting that is the ruling affects the welfare of its members NLC would have no option than to withdraw members from service. Agwanwo said: “It will affect the workers in the state and at the local government levels. Even the private sector doing business in the state will also be affected.
“For us as a state council, we will not sit down and watch so we are calling on the judges that going forward they should put the masses into consideration. There is no politician in the state that does not have a sister or brother working in the state. If they seize the allocation are you going to be paying them. We totally condemn this judgement and we are saying whatever court that will take up this matter should reverse it. If this will affect the well being of our members we will have no option than to withdraw the service of our members.”
NLC threatens to withdraw service of members if Rivers FAAC allocation is not restored
