The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has urged the judiciary to exercise caution in issuing rulings that could increase the hardships in the country.
His comments came in response to the suspension of allocations to the Rivers State Government as he unveiled 10 new CNG-powered buses at the NLC secretariat in Port Harcourt.
Ajaero advised the judiciary against embarking on a “journey of self-destruction,” expressing concern that the decision could worsen the financial situation for thousands of workers in Rivers State.
He said while the NLC is refraining from taking a strong stance because the cases are ongoing in court, the Nigerian Bar Association, National Judicial Council, and other relevant bodies should look into the matter in light of established precedents.
Ajaero praised the recent approval of ₦85,000 minimum wage for state workers.
He, however, urged the state government to address unresolved issues, such as unpaid hazard allowances for health workers from 2021 and the nine-year delay in teacher payments from state demonstration schools.
On the issue of CNG-powered buses, Ajaero emphasised the importance of expanding CNG infrastructure nationwide to support the functionality of the vehicles.
He also called for CNG prices to be regulated to avoid the kind of inflation seen with petrol prices, noting that Nigeria has vast gas reserves.
According to him, the NLC has taken delivery of 60 CNG-powered buses and is distributing 10 to each geopolitical zone to test their efficiency.
He said Rivers is the first state in the South-South to receive the buses, adding that the union aims to make Rivers and Edo the hub for CNG operations in the region, with Edo already housing CNG stations.
The launch of the buses was attended by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Tammy Danagogo.
Danagogo, in his speech, urged the National Secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led by Ajaero to remain constructive in carrying out their duties of representing the workers and the masses.
He assured the NLC of the state government’s resolve to make the welfare of Rivers workers a priority, just as he urged them to continue to engage the government meaningfully and constructively.
“Thank you for your support for the Nigerian masses in general. The challenges you encounter are because of the Nigerian masses. Be assured that the people and Government of Rivers State appreciate your efforts and will continue to encourage you to engage all levels of government meaningfully and constructively to ensure that this country witnesses a paradigm shift for the good of the people and the country in general,” he said.
“As a government, we will pass a vote of confidence on the Stare Chapter of NLC. They have approached issues in a very civilized manner,” the governor noted.
He thanked President Bola Tinubu for his support in providing the CNG buses for workers.
He said, “Here in Rivers State, this administration has always seen the need for workers to be mobile to successfully deliver on their responsibilities. That is why from day one, we provided free buses for workers which have been running for more than a year now; and for the senior cadre of civil servants, the Permanent Secretaries, they are given official vehicles as they are appointed because the Governor understands that workers need the necessary tools such as vehicles to perform their duties optimally.”
He thanked the NLC for choosing Rivers State as its starting point for the zonal distribution of the vehicles and for engaging President Tinubu to make them available.
Answering questions from the NLC, the Governor noted that he was aware that the hazard allowances were being paid to health staff but advised that the Rivers chapter of NLC articulate concerns of grey areas as well as pending issues regarding the teachers of Demonstration Schools.
