By Capital Watch Media
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, has criticised state governors for spending excessive time in Abuja while neglecting governance in their states.
He also asserted that no governor has the power to ban labour unions, as union activities fall under the exclusive legislative list in the Nigerian Constitution.
Speaking at a town hall meeting with workers at the NLC Secretariat in Lokoja, Kogi State, on Monday, Ajaero described the proscription of labour unions in state-owned tertiary institutions by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, as unconstitutional.
“Union practice falls under the exclusive legislative list in the Constitution. No governor has the power to ban them. You don’t ban what you don’t have control over,” Ajaero stated.
He explained that labour unions are registered nationally by the Registrar of Trade Unions and can establish branches in states for administrative purposes.
“For administrative convenience, unions may choose to have branches in states, so what exactly are you banning?” he asked.
The NLC President expressed concern that many governors were no longer resident in their states, leaving governance unattended.
“Most governors now live permanently in Abuja at the expense of their states. This is affecting governance and making it difficult for workers to engage with their leaders,” he said.
Ajaero revealed that the NLC leadership was in Kogi to deliver and inaugurate ten Compressed Natural Gas buses to ease transportation challenges for workers in the state.
He noted that during visits to five different zones, he observed that governors were often absent.
“We have moved to about five zones, and Kogi is the fifth. We have only met a governor in one of those states. Each time you visit, they are in Abuja,” he added.
Highlighting the economic hardships workers face, Ajaero criticised any plans to increase tariffs on telecommunications services, stating that such a move would further burden workers.
He assured workers that their concerns would be relayed to the state government, provided the governor was available.
“If the governor is around, we will convey your issues to him. If not, we will pass them to his representative,” he said.
Kogi State is significant to the NLC, Ajaero noted, as both the governor, Usman Ododo, and his deputy have backgrounds in labour unions.
“Ododo was one of my officials in Niger State, while the deputy governor was a former official of the Nigeria Union of Teachers,” he stated.
The NLC President said the town hall meeting was an opportunity to assess the government’s performance.
“We want to listen to workers and determine what has been done and what remains unaddressed,” he added.
Workers at the meeting decried the proscription of unions in Kogi State Polytechnic, Kogi State University, and the State Colleges of Education, Technology, and Nursing, a situation they said had lasted over a decade.
They also called for NLC intervention on issues such as the non-implementation of annual salary increases, lack of housing for workers, and the shortage of teachers in primary and junior secondary schools.
Ajaero assured them that their grievances would be addressed, reaffirming the NLC’s commitment to workers’ welfare across Nigeria.
