NLC Threatens Indefinite Strike over Court’s Seizure Order on Rivers Allocations

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Rivers State chapter, has threatened to go on strike if the judgement of Justice Joyce Abdulmalik stopping the federal government allocations to the state was not reversed.
The union threatened that if the judgement urging Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) not to release the monthly allocations was not reversed, it would direct withdrawal of workers’ services in the state.

Chairman of NLC in the state, Alex Agwanwo, who spoke with journalists shortly after an emergency meeting with labour leaders in the state, yesterday, stated that stopping the Rivers allocations will affect its members.
Agwanwo condemned the court decision, threatening that NLC will not allow its workers to face hardship following the judgement. He said if judgement subsisted, the state government will not be able to pay salaries of civil servants.

He berated the federal high court judge, who gave the order, saying the judge failed to take into consideration the negative effects such order would have on workers in the state.
Agwanwo stated, “As a state council, we have looked at the issues. We condemn that judgement. The judgement lacks a human face. The judgement lacks empathy. The judge did not take the citizens and workers of Rivers State into consideration before giving the judgement.

“Everybody knows that taking allocation away from a state will put the state into suffering. It will disrupt governance in a state because governance will not take place without funds.”
While calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, Agwanwo said the Court of Appeal should reverse the ruling, insisting that failure to do so would result in the union withdrawing members’ services.