Following the ruling of Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, stopping allocations to Rivers State, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Rivers chapter, has issued a warning of an impeding indefinite strike.
The union stated that if the decision preventing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from disbursing monthly allocations is not reversed, it will take steps to withdraw services from workers across the state.
Following an emergency meeting with labour leaders on Thursday, NLC chairman in Rivers State, Alex Agwanwo, expressed that the court’s ruling would have detrimental effects on union members.
Agwanwo criticized the court’s decision, emphasizing that the NLC would not stand idly by while its workers face hardship as a result of the ruling.
He warned that if the decision stands, the state government would struggle to pay civil servants’ salaries.
He also criticized the federal high court judge for not considering the adverse consequences of the order on the state’s workforce.
Agwanwo stated, “As a state council, we have looked at the issues. We condemn that judgement. The judgement lacks a human face. The judgement lacks empathy. The judge did not take the citizens and workers of Rivers State into consideration before giving the judgement.
“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 called for the Court of Appeal to overturn the ruling, asserting that a failure to do so would compel the union to withdraw its members’ services.
