Workers in Ekiti State have raised the alarm over alleged conspiracy between state government and labour leaders to divert a fresh N9.3 billion bailout funds from the Federal Government.
Acting under the aegis of Enlightened Workers Forum (EWF), they condemned the alleged silence of Governor Ayo Fayose since the receipt of the cash saying the action was to give room to diversion of the fund.
The workers alleged that top officials of the Organized Labour were summoned to Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort by the government in a bid to compromise them and jeopardize interest of workers and pensioners expected to benefit from the bailout largesse.
They alleged that government plans to bribe labour leaders with N250 million out of the funds to pave the way for the diversion of the money, wondering why Fayose has been silent since the receipt of the cash when other states had disclosed what they got.
But the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman, Raymond Ade Adesanmi, described the workers’ allegation as “baseless and unfounded” saying it is only irresponsible labour leaders that will compromise interest of the workers.
In a statement on Thursday by EWF Coordinator, Mike Bamidele, the workers said while workers in other states including pensioners would be paid between five and seven months arrears of salaries and benefits, their Ekiti counterparts only get two months because of the alleged diversion plot.
The statement reads in part: “It may interest Ekiti people to known that within the last three weeks or thereabouts, Ekiti State government has received a total of N14.9 billion by ways of FAAC allocation, Budget Support and Bailout Funds.
“The allocation for the month of October was N1.8 billion which was followed by N1.3 billion, budget support. The N9.3 billion bailout came in about on week later while the November allocation received few days ago was N2.5 billion.
“It was quite noticeable that when the bailout fund got to other states, they immediately announced to the whole world the number of months arrears they would pay but Fayose cleverly kept quiet over that of Ekiti so as to create impression that nothing was received.
“His silence caused so much confusion that even up till now, most people do not believe he had received any bailout . The bitter truth is that Fayose had taken the bailout which he had once again planned to divert.
“The One or two months that would be paid, would either be done on Thursday (yesterday) evening or Friday when he knew every workers must have exhausted patience and would be ready to take just anything.”
Adesanmi challenged any worker making the allegation to come out with concrete evidence like payment vouchers and those who signed it.
Reacting to the Ikogosi meeting, Adesanmi said the Head of Service, Gbenga Faseluka, had planned to host the workers’ leaders to a retreat earlier in the year, adding that the programme was not held eventually as it has been postponed indefinitely following three-day protest in Ikogosi town over two-year power outage.
Reeling out his own statistics, Adesanmi said: “Receipt from from FAAC was N1.5 billion which was used for June deductions, June salaries for institutions on subvention.
“N8.8 billion was received from the Paris Club funds out of which N2.4 billion was given to local governments while the state got N5.4 billion, twenty per cent of this went to salaries and seventy per cent for development projects.
“July salaries, deductions, subventions and pensions for June were also paid. It is irresponsible labour leaders that will sell the workers out. I want to say that the allegation and rumour flying around are untrue, baseless and unfounded.”
Comments