The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has condemned the trend of state governors residing permanently in Abuja while neglecting governance in their respective states. He made this statement on Monday during a town hall meeting with workers at the NLC Secretariat in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.
Ajaero also addressed the issue of labour union proscription, stating that no governor has the authority to ban unions, as labour matters fall under the exclusive legislative list in Nigeria’s Constitution. His comments were in reaction to the decision of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello to proscribe labour unions in state-owned tertiary institutions.
“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 have control over,” Ajaero asserted. He further explained that unions are registered at the national level by the Registrar of Trade Unions and may establish branches in states for administrative convenience.
Expressing shock that such a ban existed in Kogi State, Ajaero emphasized that the state government lacks the constitutional right to proscribe labour unions. He assured workers that the NLC leadership was in the state to support them and address their grievances.
Beyond labour matters, Ajaero voiced concerns over the increasing trend of governors abandoning their states to reside in the Federal Capital Territory. He lamented that this absence was negatively affecting governance, leaving citizens without direct access to their leaders.
“We have visited five zones so far, and in only one did we meet the governor present. Each time we go to a state, the governor is in Abuja. This is affecting governance. If leaders remain absent, how can citizens engage with them or benefit from democracy?” he questioned.
The NLC leader also spoke on the harsh economic realities affecting workers, warning against any attempt by the government to introduce new tariffs on telecommunications. According to him, such policies would only worsen the burden on Nigerian workers, who are already struggling with the high cost of living.
The town hall meeting also served as an avenue for workers to express their concerns. They informed Ajaero that for over a decade, unions in Kogi State Polytechnic, Kogi State University, and other state-owned tertiary institutions had been under proscription. Additionally, they raised pressing issues such as the non-implementation of annual salary increments, the lack of housing for workers, and an acute shortage of teachers in primary and junior secondary schools.
Ajaero reassured the workers that the NLC would relay their grievances to the state government. However, he noted that discussions would be dependent on the governor’s presence. “If the governor is around, we will present your demands directly to him. If he is not, we will pass them on to whoever he delegates,” he said.
Kogi State holds strategic importance for the NLC, Ajaero noted, as both Governor Usman Ododo and his deputy have backgrounds in labour union leadership. He described the visit as a homecoming and emphasized that the meeting was an opportunity to assess whether the administration was upholding the values it once advocated for.
As part of its intervention, the NLC leadership delivered and inaugurated 10 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses for the state chapter of the congress to ease transportation challenges faced by workers.
The NLC president concluded by reiterating the importance of leadership presence at the state level, urging governors to prioritize the welfare of their citizens over frequent trips to the capital.
