Wabba to lead ‘Occupy Ogun’ protest over workers’ plight 

The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba would on Friday lead a protest of organised labours in Abeokuta, Ogun state over what he termed “anti-worker actions” of Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s government.

Wabba in a letter dated Feb 20, 2019 and addressed to Amosun, said the protest tagged “Operation Occupy Ogun State” scheduled for March 1 would keep the state locked down until the demands are met.

Some of the grievances as contained in a copy of the letter seen by Daily Trust correspondent on Tuesday, were unpaid backlog of salary deductions and gratuity, failure to reinstate the State Chairman of NLC, Akeem Ambali who was dismissed by the state government and the plight of workers of the Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu-Ijebu.

The letter was titled “Re: Notice of Protest Against Anti-Worker Actions of the Ogun State Government Scheduled For 1st March, 2019.”

Wabba regretted that the state government failed to address the issues earlier raised in various letters dated December 10, 2018, January 16, 2019 and February 8, 2019.

The letter reads partly “Given the intransigence of the Ogun State Government to respond to earlier entreaties by the NLC, organised labour in Nigeria has no other option left than to keep Ogun State on an industrial lockdown until our demands as follows are met:

“Liquidation of about 104 months arrears of withheld statutory deductions owed workers and unions in Ogun State in line with the agreement reached between the state government and organised labour that the last tranche of Paris Club refund be used for this purpose;

“Payment of gratuity owed retirees in Ogun State;

“Reinstatement of Comrade Akeem Ambali, NLC Ogun State Council Chairperson, to his work with the state government and the payment of his salaries and entitlements withheld throughout the period of his unjust suspension from work;

“Settlement of salary arrears owed workers of Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu-Ijebu Ode”

Our correspondent gathered that the chairman of NLC had begun mobilisation ahead of this Friday’s protest as letters informing unions and affiliated bodies in NLC had been circulated across the state.