NLC tackles Abia governor over online verification, non-payment of 7-month salary

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abia State has criticised the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, for insisting that workers in the state should embark on another verification exercise.

The state government had, through a circular issued by the head of service of the state, directed the state public and civil servants in ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs) and 17 local government areas to upload their documents online as part of the verification exercise.

The workers were to upload their documents from 10 to 31 May 2024, according to the circular.

‘It’s anti-workers. We’ll not obey it’

However, the leadership of the NLC in the state said they were surprised that the Abia State government was making the request even after workers in the state had previously undergone a verification exercise ordered by the government.

In a statement on Saturday jointly signed by its State Chairperson, Ogbonnaya Okoro and Secretary, Emma Alozie, the NLC claimed that the state government “withheld” salaries of “many workers” for over seven months on the basis that some of the workers were yet to be verified.

The workers said it was a “slight for government to again organise such a sensitive programme for our members without recourse” to the NLC, the umbrella body of workers in the state.

They said they viewed the recent directive for the verification as “retrogressive to an earlier vision of the governor to fish out ghost workers from the system.”

“Another verification exercise a few months after the first one is anti-workers, considering the economic hardship the workers are going through with their meagre salaries and that asking them to go online is another financial burden to the workers faced with various financial challenges,” the statement read in part.

The workers asked the state government to, as a matter of urgency, put the exercise on hold to avoid an industrial crisis.

“Therefore, the State Executive Council (of the NLC) in session finally resolved that no Abia worker in the MDAs and the 17 Local government areas should henceforth present his or herself for any form of online verification pending when this issue would be discussed between labour and government,” the statement added.

Abia govt reacts

The Commissioner for Information in Abia State, Okey Kanu, could not be reached for comments as calls to his mobile phone did not go through as of the time of filing this report.

Also, Kazie Uko, the spokesperson for Governor Otti, did not respond to several calls seeking his comments.

Mr Uko was yet to respond to a WhatsApp message seeking his comments on the allegations against the governor by the NLC.