NLC Challenges Abia Govt On Salary Arrears, Claims Ikpeazu Received Third Tranche Of Paris Refund

NLC Challenges Abia Govt On Salary Arrears, Claims Ikpeazu Received Third Tranche Of Paris Refund

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abia State has accused the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu-led administration of refusal to look into the plights of civil servants and the huge backlog of salary arrears owed workers in the state parastatals.

Chairman of NLC in the state, Comrade Uchenna Obigwe, who made the congress’ position known on Wednesday in Umuahia, also claimed that the Ikpeazu-led administration lied that it had not received the last tranche of Paris Refund Club, whereas the federal government had done so.

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Obigwe said, “Whatever policy government makes, they have to carry the labour along so that we will know what they are doing. And the government should not play politics with the stomach of Abia workers.

“Let me tell you, since 1999, all the successive government in Abia had been paying parastatal salaries up to 2015, 2016. If not so, why will the bailout funds be given in 2015? The government was owing to Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba, about eight to nine months, the government paid it.

“They cannot culminate these arrears and leave it unpaid. We received a bailout fund in 2015. We received the first and second tranche of Paris fund. NLC was part of the disbursement. That of the third tranche and also that of the last tranche, nobody has heard anything about it from the government.

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“And the information we have is that the Abia government has received the third and last tranche of the funds. We confirmed this from our national leadership of NLC. If Governor Ikpeazu-led government say it has not received it, let the government put a letter to that effect, and address it to national President of NLC, I will take it to him, and he (President) will reply them.”

Meanwhile, the Abia government had in a statement issued by the State Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, denied receiving the last tranche of the fund.

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Part of the statement read, “We wish to state without fear of contradiction that Abia is among the few states that are yet to receive the last tranche of Paris Club Refund. That the state NLC Chairman publicly claimed that he “read online” that the state government has received such payment is mischievous, bearing in mind that someone occupying his position is expected to verify the information before going public and not rely on some fabricated falsehood in questionable online outfits”.