FG says govs Okorocha, Ortom goofed sending workers to farms

The Federal Government has told state governors that it is illegal for them to cut worker salaries, or reduce their work hours by sending them to take on other vocations like farming.

The assertion was handed down by the minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, who said it was in reaction to calls by state governments who have called on his ministry to intervene in ongoing faceoffs with labour unions I their states.

Some state governments in recent time have adopted different strategies to address their inability to pay workers’ salaries as at when due.

While some opted to cut workers’ salaries, others reduced the number of hours workers are to perform their officials duties, enjoining them to take up farming to augment their pay.

Governor Rochas Okorocha had directed workers in Imo State to work for three days in the week, and take the other two days off to farm, while also cutting monthly salary of civil servants in the state by 30 per cent, in efforts to reduce its wage bill.

His Benue state counterpart, Samuel Ortom had also directed workers in the state to take Fridays off to also farm to feed their families.

However, Ngige stated that the action of the governors was illegal and asked them to reverse their decisions.
The minister in a statement by Samuel Olowokere, a Deputy Director Press in the ministry, said there is a need to restore industrial harmony and avid a breakdown of law and order.

According to him, this followed protracted industrial crisis involving the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, and Nasarawa State government, particularly, which led to a nationwide protests on Tuesday, as workers rallied in solidarity with their counterparts in that state.

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The minister said the step was pursuant to the powers invested in him by Section 5(1) and (2) of the Trade Dispute Act, Laws of Nigeria, 2004, adding, that this was also predicated on a letter to him by Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State for the ministry to help resolve the labour crisis in the state.

The minister said the issue of arbitrary reduction in the hours of work was against the International Labour Organisation, ILO, regulation; Convention 1, which had been adopted and domesticated by Nigeria.

But reacting, the Imo state government stated that it had not been informed of the minister’s assertion, insisting that it did no wrong in asking worker to go to farm to ameliorate the current economic hard ship.

Chief Press Secretary to Governor Okorocha, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, said Labour, including the NLC President, Abdulawahab Wabba, signed an agreement with the state government that whatever was the accruing income of the state each month, including IGR, Labour would take 70 per cent for salaries and pension, while 30 per cent would be given to the government for projects, so the government didn’t cut workers’ salaries.

On its part, the Benue State government through the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and ICT, Mr. Tahav, said it did not contravene any law by asking workers to embark on farming activities every Friday.

He said, “We have not done it as a permanent feature, it is only going to last for two months. So we have not contravened any law as far as I know.”

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