The Nigeria Labour Congress NLC Abia State Chapter has expressed dissatisfaction with the method of the ongoing staff verification exercise carried out by the State government stressing that a situation where workers are subjected to in-human condition is not acceptable to labour.
NLC in a statement Titled Re: “Ongoing Verification Exercise of Abia Workers” signed by Comrades Nweke Pascal and Emma Alozie as State Chairman and Secretary respectively noted that it was in support of the government’s efforts to fish out ghost workers amongst bonafide workers in the State’s Civil Service, adding however, that it was compelled to address the plight of Abia workers currently undergoing the staff verification exercise.
The statement maintained that a situation where up to six MDAs that has not less than 400 – 700 workers are invited for verification on a day and workers are subjected to in-human condition is not acceptable to labour.
It noted that a situation where workers are forced to report for verification for days without being captured under this hard condition occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy without palliative from the state Government, is unacceptable to labour adding that a visit to the International Conference Centre, Umuahia by the State Council after its State Executive Council Meeting proved the above true.
The statement called on Government as a matter of urgency to extend the closing date of the verification exercise to ensure that all Abia workers are captured as well as replicate what they did in the L.G.As by causing the MDAs to appear separately on different days to decongest the venues and ensure the safety of the workers and officers.
It also called on Government to ventilate the International Conference Centre, Umuahia by restoring light supply to the Centre such that the Air conditioners and fans could be put to use as Labour in the Abia appealed that the contractor handling the verification exercise should not be allowed to dictate the duration of the exercise while Abia workers suffer.
Full statement below ????!
NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS ABIA STATE COUNCIL PRESS RELEASE
RE: ONGOING VERIFICATION OF ABIA WORKERS
We are compelled to address the plight of Abia workers currently undergoing the staff venfication exercise.
We categoncatly State our unalioyed support to Abia State Government in her effort to fish out the ghost workers amongst the bonafide workers of Abia State through the on-going venfication exercise aimed at greater good of Aba Workers.
The Execuve Governor, His Excellency Or. Alex Chioma Ott has consistently demonstrated his commitment to reposition Abia Civil Service and the welfare of the workers and pensioners, a commitment which he has assured would be achieved before the end of the year.
However, we are pained by the plight of Abia workers in their effort to be venfied. We therefore state as follows:
* That a situaton where up to six MDAs that has not less than 400 – 700 workers are invited for venficaton on a day, is unacceptable to Labour.
* That a situation where workers are subjected to in-human condition are not acceptable to labour.
That a situation where workers are forced to report for verification for days without being captured under this hard condition occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy without palliative from the state Government, is unacceptable to labour.
* A visit to the Intemational Conference Centre, Umuahia by the State Coundi after its State Executive Council Meeting proved the above and the unconducve condition under which the verification exercise is going on which in turn could jeopardize the health of the workers and the verification officers. From the foregoing, the State Council of Congress request the State:
* Extend the closing date of the verification exercise to ensure that all Abia workers are captured.
* Replicate what they did in the L.G.As by causing the MDAs to appear separately on different days to decongest the venues and ensure the safety of the workers and officers.
* Ventilate the International Conference Centre, Umuahia by restoring light supply to the Centre such that the Air conditioners and fans couid be put to use.
It is the State Council appeal that the contractor handling the verification exercise should not be allowed to dictate the duration of the exercise while Abia workers suffer.
We are saddened by the fact that today most workers are yet to receive their salaries under the excuse of haven not been captured as a result of glitches which is not fault of their own.
For fairness and justice sake, we call on the Executive Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, as a matter of urgency to approve the payment of the salaries of those affected, to ameliorate their sufferings.
This is from the background that they remain Abia Workers until proved otherwise through the verificatication exercise.
While we enjoin Abia workers to cooperate with the verification officers, v call on government to ensure that no legitimate Abia worker is victimize at the end of the exercise.
COM. NWEKE P.I.
State Chairperson
COM. EMMA ALOZIE(JP)
State Secretary
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