The Niger State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has called on the Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, to resign following his failure to pay workers the new minimum wage of N30,000.
The PDP in a statement signed by its state Chairman, Tanko Beji, queried: “How could Governor Sani Bello allow a Labour dispute about wages and rights of workers to culminate into a total strike action?
“It is a classic case of dereliction of duty if you contrast the demands of the workers to the extravagant expenditure his Government incurs on other non- relevant issues, like building of fence, adventure to sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and failed investment summit.
“We are shocked that Governor Bello who almost a year ago boasted that he is ready to pay the new minimum wage of N30,000 passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by Mr. President has failed to do so.”
Beji, while lamenting that the strike by organised labour had grounded activities in the state, fumed: “Worst still Governor Sani Bello has abandoned the state and this is Day 2 of the strike action that has completely paralyzed all Hospitals and essential services in the state that is already economically on its knee due to cluelessness, pilferage and Governance failures of the past five years.
“The Governor who has maintained that he didn’t promise anything during his campaigns ought to know that the littlest of any Government is provision of Security of lives and properties of citizens, failure of which should be either resign or be impeached. But any less is not acceptable.”
Beji blamed the Governor for giving out brand new Hilux trucks to the 25 Council chairmen at the time the security situation was deteriorating in the state.
“One would expect that similar or same vehicles and other logistics would be provided to the security agencies like the Police, NSCDC and the Army who are already in the trenches battling the insurgents,” he said.
The party frowned at the attitude of the Bello-led All Progressives Congress towards workers, saying: “This clear case of misadventure the Governor is dragging the lives and properties of Nigerlites into, the insecurity occasioned by the failed and non-coherent security architecture in the state is enough, adding an all out strike action will be disastrous.
“It is against this that we in the PDP call on the Governor and his party to immediately pay workers their legally approved Salaries, Provide Political and strategic leadership to the Security architecture or immediately resign or the House of Assembly should do the needful.”
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