NLC threatens strike in Rivers over ruling on financial allocation

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Rivers state has threatened to withdraw services over the court order stopping disbursement of financial allocations to the state.

On Wednesday, a federal high court in Abuja restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN ) from further disbursing financial allocations to the Rivers state government.

The court held that monies from the federation account should not be released to the state pending the passage of a lawful appropriation act by a validly constituted house of assembly.

Speaking with journalists after an emergency meeting with labour leaders in the state, Alex Agwanwo, Rivers NLC chairman, said the union condemns the judgment.

He added that the judge did not take the citizens and workers of Rivers state into consideration before issuing the ruling.

“Everybody knows that taking allocation away from a state will put the state into suffering. It will disrupt governance in a state because governance will not take place without funds,” Agwanwo said.

“It will affect the workers in the state and at the local government levels. Even the private sector doing business in the state will also be affected.

“For us as a state council, we will not sit down and watch so we are calling on the judges that going forward they should put the masses into consideration.

“There is no politician in the state that does not have a sister or brother working in the state. If they seize the allocation, are you going to be paying them?

“We condemn this judgement and we are saying whatever court that will take up this matter should reverse it. If this will affect the well-being of our members, we will have no option but to withdraw the service of our members.”