Angry Plateau workers disrupt state Assembly sitting

Angry Plateau workers on Thursday refused state legislators assess into the state assembly complex for failing to challenge the executive for not implementing the minimum wage since 2012 after its passage into law.

The National Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Lucy Offiong, in support of the Plateau state members of the union, also threatened to shut down the country should governors owing state workers refuse to pay before May 29. 

“On account of non-payment of workers’ salary, we give Plateau state House of Assembly 14 days to attend to our plight so that our salaries can be paid, or face full demonstration that would paralyze the entire country,” Ms. Offiong said. 

“I don’t know what the House of Assembly members are doing to provide relief to the plight of the civil servants whose children are out of school and cannot afford to feed them.” 

The Plateau state chairman of the NLC, Jibrin Banchir, who led the protest to the state assembly with the national officials and hundreds of Plateau civil servants, said they will not allow deliberation again at the House until their plight​s​ were addressed.

The NLC protest disrupted Thursday’s sitting. Legislators​,​ including the speaker of the house​,​ abandoned the complex as the NLC action continued.

Mr. Banchir described the current Plateau legislators as “rubber stamps members” and “failed legislators.”

According to Mr. Banchir, as the 24 members of the Plateau state assembly had allowed the executive reflect the minimum wage in the annual state budget since 2012 when the bill was passed without paying workers same, they did not deserve to represent the people any longer. 

“The members of 7th Assembly are a big disgrace to the Plateau people,” he said.

He said the action of the executive was impeachable.

The NLC protesters threatened to barricade the assembly complex for the rest of the tenure of the 7th Assembly.

Available records of the state assembly shows that out of the 24 members of the 7th Assembly, only three were re-elected in the last state Assembly elections.

It was gathered that the Speaker of the state Assembly, Titus Alams, had ordered security personnel to prevent the NLC from  entering into the Assembly arena.

The Plateau NLC has been on strike since May 4 due to non-payment of salaries of civil servants for months.