The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on Thursday threatened to go on strike following the ruling of a Federal High Court in Abuja stopping the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, from paying monthly federal allocation to Rivers State government.
The labour body said if the order is reversed, it will order its members to withdraw their services.
While reacting to the ruling, the Rivers State Chapter of NLC said stopping Rivers State allocation will affect its members as the state government will not be able to pay them their salaries.
The Chairman of NLC in the state, Alex Agwanwo, who spoke after an emergency meeting in the state berated the federal high court judge who gave the order saying such order lacked human face as the judge failed to take into consideration the negative effects such order would have on workers in the state.
“Yesterday, there was a court judgment stopping the state allocation. As a state council, we have looked at the issues. We condemn that judgment.
“The judgment lacks a human face. The judgment lacks empathy. The judge did not take 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 funds.”
He called on the Court of Appeal to reverse the ruling adding that failure to do so would result in the union withdrawing members from service.
“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 condemn this judgment 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.”
