The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned against any attempt to disrupt the payment of salaries to workers in Rivers State.
The warning was made on Friday by NLC President Joe Ajaero while speaking at a National Executive Council meeting in the state.
Ajaero said the NLC would not remain silent if their livelihoods were threatened. He assured workers that the union would resist any effort to delay or block salary payments, stressing that prompt and consistent payment is a right that should not be compromised.
This statement comes days after a Federal High Court issued an order barring the Central Bank of Nigeria and other financial institutions from releasing state funds to the Rivers State Government.
Ajaero also directed a message to the judiciary, urging it to avoid making decisions that could harm the welfare of the workforce.
Recall that the judgment by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja on October 30, 2024, halted allocations to the state government. The verdict prevents the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other financial bodies from releasing funds to the Rivers State government over Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 budget to a four-member House of Assembly.
Justice Abdulmalik argued that this action went against the Nigerian Constitution’s requirements for budget approval. She said that the Assembly’s reduced membership, with only four members, did not meet constitutional standards. Justice Abdulmalik also stated that Fubara’s receipt of funds based on the disputed budget violated the law. As a result, she ordered the CBN, the Accountant-General, and banks such as Zenith and Access Bank to block any further access by the Rivers State government to the funds from the Consolidated Revenue and Federation Accounts
