The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, has called on the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress to take steps to ensure that state governors pay their states workers salary arrears before the handover date of May 29.
He said the leaders of the labour movement would be seen to be guilty of complicity if they fail to ensure that the workers are paid their salaries before the exit of the governors.
Oshiomhole, who added that Edo State had paid salaries of its workers up to date, made the comment while paying a courtesy call on the President of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, in Abuja on Tuesday.
The governor, a former President of the NLC, urged the leaders of the labour centre to make sure that the governors coughed out what they owed the Nigerian worker either in cash or in assets before handing over to their successor later this month.
He said the incoming governors were not likely to clear that backlog of arrears as they would be lamenting the huge debt burden inherited from their predecessors and would be pleading for time to pay the arrears.
He said, “In Edo today, we are one of the very few states that are not in arrears and we will not be in arrears. Even this salary of April, it would be paid before the last working day of April even though my commissioner told me yesterday that the Federal Government has again defaulted in remitting in full what accrues to the federation account.
“Last month, we got less than N1.5bn less. This month we are getting 10 per cent less than we got even last month.
“So, that is why I told the NLC President that instead of quarrelling about who should be the President, this is not a President that would be awarding contracts; you should unite to ensure that workers get paid because if you allow these governors to leave office on May 29 with arrears of salaries, you will be guilty of conspiracy against the workers and you are accessories after the fact of non-payment of wages.”
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