Ebonyi: ‘NLC strike action is politically motivated -ALGON boss, Uburu insists

…..says Ebonyi LGAs will collapse if they are to pay #9b on gratuity once

By Uchenna Okeh Abakaliki

The chairman of the Association of local governments of Nigeria, ALGON, Ebonyi State chapter, Chinedu Uburu on Tuesday said that the ongoing strike action embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in the state are politically motivated.

He urged the leadership of NLC in the state to toe the line of peace and dialogue to approach government, and should desist from being used by politicians to cause crisis and destabilize the existing peace and order in the state.

Uburu made this known to newsmen in Abakaliki, while reacting on the strike action declared by the leadership of the NLC in the state.

According to him: “I expected Ebonyi workers to be grateful to the governor, Francis Nwifuru and God Almighty for these increments they have been enjoying in the state. For me, I think that this strike is politically motivated.

“This is because I don’t see any reasonable civil servant in Ebonyi state that will complain of non payments of salaries, gratuities and pension. And the state government is not owning any worker.

“I appeal to the workers to go into dialogue with the state government. For me, going into the strike is not the best. I urge Ebonyians not to allow politicians balkanize the peace and progress we are enjoying, because it won’t be healthy for all of us.

In a related development, the chairman of Ebonyi local government area, Uburu inferred that the local government system will collapse, if local government areas in the state are to pay over nine billion on gratuity and pension to the retirees of LGAs.

“I want to urge the local government retirees to be patient with the council chairmen. Nobody is saying that they will not be paid gratuity and pension, of course, we are paying them pension every month. Their gratuity will be paid to them gradually.

“There is no way the local government system in Ebonyi state will wakeup one day and pay gratuity that ranges between nine to ten billion naria. We don’t have the money. If the money is there, we pay them.

“How much is our allocation? How much do the LGAs in Ebonyi state earn in a month? Is not up to five billion, not to talk of something like nine to ten billion naria to pay gratuities. What it means is that the local government system in Ebonyi state will collapse.

“Even if you stop payment of salaries, it will not pay the gratuities. We plan to workout modalities wherein these monies will be remitted either monthly or quarterly in a year, so as to make up the money and pay the gratuities” he stated.