Paris Club Refunds: NLC charges FG to monitor use of funds by states

By Victor Ahiuma-young and Dennis Udoma

President of Ni-geria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba has called on the Federal Government to ensure that the N500 billion Paris Club refund to be released to state governors are used
to pay salaries and pensions of workers to avoid diversion.

He made the call in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital yesterday during the 4th Quadrennial National Delegates’ Conference of the Maritime Workers
Union.

Ayuba, lamented that the last chunk that was released, over N19 billion was diverted by the governors and that the Federal Government should put mechanism in place and muster the will to audit states to ensure that the first and the second releases are judiciously spent for the settlement of outstanding
salaries, pensions and gratuities.

He threatened that labour was waiting on the wings to start aggressive agitation to attract the Federal Government’s attention to the fact that, corruption
must be fought at all levels including the states.

The NLC President called on employers of labour at all levels to see workers as partners in progress, a people that create wealth, not as liabilities.

According to him, “What we are saying is that let the government also muster the will to ensure that the first chunk that was released is accounted for, because
there were controversies that N19 billion was diverted by the governor’s forum.

“Outside the goodwill to make this funds available, the issue of transparency and accountability in governance which is lacking in some states, must be pursued,
government must be proactive to ensure that it is on top of the situation and demand accountability.

“We are going to start our agitation very seriously and rigorously to the fact that, if you are fighting corruption, it must be at all levels, it must scale down to the states, they must continue to see workers as partners in progress, as people that create wealth and not liabilities; and therefore workers’ rights must be given priority, if not, we won’t have social stability, cohesion and we will not go out of recession.”

He also maintained that, the recession being experienced in the country, is man-made adding that, it would take a focused leader to put things in right places; according to him,the country’s economy was mismanaged by past government.

“If the economy was mismanaged by people, it will also take the people to reverse it and put the economy back on track; you will not expect God to correct
what we have done.

It will take good leaders with determination, transparency and accountability to be able to address the situation,” Ayuba said.

Also in his speech, the outgone, President of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria,Comrade Anthony
Emmanuel Nted, said that, the survival of the country’s economy depended on the workability of the maritime sector, stressing that, the country’s maritime sector has suffered tremendously due to
policy inconsistencies.

He however emphasized that, “Any government policy that affects efficiency of the Ports and quality service delivery is bound to have collosal effect on theentire
economy”.

Comrade Nted noted that, what the country’s Ports was passing through was not because of its facilities, workers of stakeholders, “but unrefined government
policies that have made it very difficult for the Ports operators and mangers to operate and function optimally.

He also highlighted his achievements in the four years as President of the union to include; training of 6000 members of the union in various capacities building
locally, while 300 members attended overseas training respectively and, called on those contesting to take over from him to exhibit the spirit of sportsmanship, advising that, the result of the election should not tear the union apart.

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, who was represented by his Senior Special Adviser on Labour, Comrade Unyime Usoro, in his goodwill message to the occasion, saluted the achievements of the maritime workers in a depressed economy and urged the union not to despair but, forge ahead to reposition the
national economy.

Goodwill messages were also presented by the Director-General, NIMASA, National Union of Textile Workers, Managing Director, and Nigerian Port
Authority amongst others.