NLC Accuses FG Of Hijacking Osun LG Funds, Threatens Mass Action
The Nigeria Labour Congress has accused the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Minister of Finance, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) of colluding to withhold local government allocations meant for elected councils in Osun State.
NLC said the action constitutes a blatant violation of the constitution, the Fiscal Responsibility Act, and the judgment of the Court of Appeal.
The union also threatened nationwide mass action over the rising insecurity, poverty and deepening cost-of-living crisis in the country.
Rising from its central working committee, CWC, meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, weekend, held over the weekend at the 12th June Cultural Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State, NLC in a communiqué signed by the President, Joe Ajaero, and General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, said: “The nearly 700,000 lives lost in just a year to insecurity in Nigeria can only happen in nations at war.
It warned that Nigerian workers would no longer sit idly by while the nation’s economy and democracy crumble.
NLC stated, “This act constitutes a blatant violation of the constitution, the Fiscal Responsibility Act, and the judgment of the Court of Appeal. Of particular alarm are reports that these funds are being diverted to political actors affiliated to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a gross abuse of power and a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.”
It demanded the “immediate and unconditional release” of all withheld local government allocations to the lawfully recognised administrations in Osun State and threatened “decisive actions” if its demands were not met.
They advised the government to immediately declare a state of emergency on insecurity and order security agencies to deal decisively with the criminals, especially armed herders and bandits, without mercy.
NLC also said the hardship faced by workers and the poor had reached intolerable levels, stressing immediate actions must be taken to avert a national breakdown.
“The contradictions of Nigeria’s political economy have deepened the precarious state of working people and further exposed the fragility of the social contract. At this point, Nigerians are feeling deeply abandoned.”
On the economy, the CWC expressed grave concern over what it described as the “escalating economic hardship which has pushed and kept millions of Nigerians in multi-dimensional poverty.
‘’Workers and their families continue to bear the brunt of unrelenting inflation, surging food prices, prohibitive transport costs, and the erosion of real wages.”
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
