The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has criticized state governors for spending most of their time in Abuja instead of attending to governance in their respective states.
Speaking at a town hall meeting with workers at the NLC Secretariat in Lokoja, Kogi State, Ajaero condemned the trend, saying it negatively affects governance and leaves citizens struggling with economic hardship.
Ajaero’s comments came in reaction to the proscription of labour unions in state-owned tertiary institutions by former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
He stated that no governor has the authority to ban labour unions, as union activities fall under the exclusive legislative list in the Nigerian Constitution.
“Governors Have No Right to Ban Unions”
The NLC president expressed shock that labour unions had been banned in Kogi State, emphasizing that state governments lack the legal authority to proscribe unions.
“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 control. Unions are registered nationally by the Registrar of Trade Unions. For administrative convenience, they may have branches in states, so what exactly are they banning?” he queried.
Ajaero further stated that the NLC leadership was in Kogi to inaugurate 10 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses provided to ease transportation challenges for workers.
Governors’ Absence Affecting Governance
He lamented that during visits to various states, governors were often unavailable because they were in Abuja.
“We have visited about five zones, and Kogi is the fifth. We have only met a governor in one of those states. Each time we visit, we are told the governor is in Abuja. This is affecting governance,” Ajaero said.
He stressed that governance should be closer to the people, allowing citizens to engage directly with their leaders.
“For democracy to thrive, people must feel its impact and be able to talk to their leaders. Unfortunately, if governors are always in Abuja, governance at the state level suffers,” he added.
Kogi Workers Demand NLC’s Intervention
During the town hall meeting, Kogi State workers highlighted several pressing issues, including the proscription of unions in state-owned tertiary institutions for over 10 years.
They also raised concerns over the non-implementation of annual salary increases, lack of housing for workers, and severe shortages of teachers in primary and junior secondary schools.
Ajaero assured the workers that the NLC would take their complaints to the state government.
Kogi State holds particular significance for the NLC, as both Governor Usman Ododo and his deputy have backgrounds in labour unions. Ododo was previously an NLC official in Niger State, while his deputy was a member of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).
“We see this as a homecoming. We want to interact with them and ensure they are addressing the same issues we have long criticized in other states,” Ajaero concluded.