The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, has said Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State owes pensioners in the state no less than 15 months unpaid pensions.
The representative of Joe Ajaero, President of NLC, Uche Ekwe, in Birnin Kebbi, disclosed this during the Kebbi State NLC delegates’ conference yesterday in Birnin Kebbi.
Ekwe lamented that despite the political statements from Wike and his activities, he had subjected pensioners in Rivers State to untold hardship with no fewer than 15 months of unpaid pensions including a backlog of gratuities.
According to him, “Wike is not the only governor in Nigeria suffocating civil servants. What is happening in Abia State is alarming and worrisome. Also in Imo State, Hope Uzodinma is also refusing to pay workers salaries promptly and denying retirees their gratuities.”
Ekwe, while delivering NLC President’s message, said “We were ordered by Ajaero to tell workers to interface with political candidates in every state in the federation to ensure civil servants vote workers-friendly candidates who would meet their demands.”
He thanked Governor Bagudu for clearing all arrears of gratuities in Kebbi State and for choosing one of the labour leaders to succeed him in person of Dr Nasir Idris, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Ekwe called on workers to come out en masse to vote for Idris because he knows the problems of workers in Kebbi State having taught in primary school and rose to become the president of Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT.
At the end of the conference, Murtala Usman, was elected new NLC chairman in Kebbi State alongside eight executive members.