Nasarawa NLC removes chairman, to proceed on strike

The Nasarawa State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has removed its chairman, Abdullahi Adeka, over alleged fraternity with the state government against the interest of workers.
Mr Yusuf Iya, spokesman of the union, told newsmen in Lafia on Thursday that the decision followed a vote of no confidence passed on the chairman by the state executive council of the union in an emergency meeting.
Iya said the council also appointed the vice chairman, Mr Bala Umar as a substantive chairman to complete the tenure of Adeka.
According to him, the council had not achieved any meaningful results regarding the entitlement of workers in the state under the leadership of Adeka, alleging that the state government had bought him over.
“Under Adeka, the union have been signing agreements with government yet the deplorable condition of workers in the state have remained the same,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, organised labour in the state had threatened to down tool if the government failed to meet their demand over salaries and other entitlements.
Mr Bala Umar, newly appointed chairman of the NLC while addressing newsmen said the organised labour had intimated the state government about the change in leadership.
He said the group also intimated government on the need to meet workers demand or face industrial action effective from May 12.
“We are saying that if the state government does not find a way to engage the leadership of organised labour to address workers demand before midnight, we would have no option than to embark on industrial action, ” he said.
He enumerated some of the workers’ demands as non-payment of salaries and arrears, annual increment, lack of promotion amongst others.
Similarly, Mr Danladi Namo, State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) decried the plight of the workers in the state and said that they could no longer bear the suffering.
“We have endured the antics of the present government for so long and this time around if the government fails to act, the strike is inevitable,’’ he said.
However, the embattled chairman, Abdullahi Adeka told newsmen that he remained the chairman saying that the action of his comrade was a nullity.
According to Adeka, he was purportedly removed in his absence without recourse to due process.
“I was chairing the SEC meeting for over an hour when I had to excuse myself to receive the General Secretary of the Nigeria Medical and Health Workers Union (NMHWU) who came into the state from Abuja,’’ Adeka said.
On the proposed strike action, Adeka said it would not hold as the union was still negotiating with the state government to resolve the impasse.