The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC in Abia State has condemned the incessant verification exercise by the Governor Alex Otti led administration.
Recall that the state government in a Public Service Announcement issued by the office of the Head of Service of Abia State, had directed the State Civil and Public Servants in Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAS), and the seventeen (17) Local Government Councils to go on-line and upload their documents with effect from May 10th, 2024 to May 31, 2024.
However, the NLC in a statement signed by the state chairman, Comr. Okoro Ogbonnaya and the secretary, Comr. Emma Alozie (JP) asked what “happened to the first verification exercise in the State in which many workers are yet to be verified and their salaries withheld by government for over 7 months now.”
The duo said that the State Executive Council (SEC) of the Congress rising from its emergency meeting held Saturday 11th May, 2024, after a critical review of the said Government Public Service Announcement resolved among other things, that: “it is a slight for government to again organize such a sensitive programme for our members without recourse to Labour which is the umbrella body for the workers
“That Labour views this exercise as retrogressive to earlier vision of the governor to fish out ghost workers from the system.
“That another verification exercise few months after the first one is anti- workers, considering the economic hardship the workers are going through with their meager salaries.
“That asking them to go on-line is another financial burden to the workers faced with various financial challenges.
“That the government should as a matter of urgency put the exercise on hold to avoid industrial crisis in the State.”
The union went on to direct that non of their members should make themselves available for the verification exercise pending their interphase with the state government.
“Therefore, the SEC-in Session finally resolved that no Abla workers in the MDAs and the 17 Local Government Areas should henceforth present his or herself for any form of on-line verification pending when this issue would be discussed between Labour and Government.”
