The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, has come under fire from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for remarks he made on the countrywide strike.
Benson Upah, the union’s representative, expressed the union’s dissatisfaction in a statement on Friday, June 7.
Remember that the union began a nationwide strike early on Monday, June 3, shutting down the national grid and sending the nation into blackout.
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The NLC stated that in addition to being extremely concerning, the SGF’s portrayal of labor’s lawful and constitutionally allowed industrial action undercut the spirit of cooperative discussion that is essential to resolving the lingering difficulties.
The statement partly reads, “The SGF we are sure clearly knows those whose actions are treasonable and sabotages our economy.
” Those who loot our treasury around the country, those who divert public resources meant for hospitals and schools; those who are involved in foreign exchange roundtripping; padding of budgets and inflating contracts including those who steal trillions of naira in the name of subsidy are the real economic saboteurs who commit treasonable felony.
“These people are in costly agbada and drive in convoys all around the nation occupying the corridors of power and not innocent workers who are not slaves but chose to withdraw their services because of the inhuman treatment meted on them by the government.
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“It is particularly disheartening that the SGF, a high-ranking government official, would make statements that trivialise the genuine grievances of Nigerian workers.
The statement continued, “His assertion that he cannot afford to pay each of his four drivers N100,000 monthly is a stark reminder of the disconnect between the government and the realities faced by ordinary Nigerians. Such statements do not contribute to the resolution of the issues at hand but rather exacerbate tensions.
“It is a clear demonstration that the SGF pays his personal staff starvation wages and may be telling us that he is a slave master. We may have to remind him that a 50kg bag of rice is N88,000 which leaves the worker with just N12,000 if he is to pay the paltry sum he claims that he is unable to pay.
“Anyway, one wonders what the SGF does with four drivers alone. We would also want to know what work justifies the huge salaries and allowances the SGF takes home all the time. Do we need to wonder too far why we are here as a nation when you have individuals with this mindset occupying sensitive positions in the corridors of power?
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“We reject completely the unfortunate insinuations around the SGF’s remarks because strikes are not only legal but also a civic duty…”.
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