The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has thrown its support behind striking workers in Osun State, calling for the immediate release of withheld local government allocations and accusing the Federal Government of selectively complying with court judgments.
The labour organisation said the continued withholding of the funds had severely affected governance at the local government level, with significant implications for public service delivery and workers’ welfare.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, the NLC described the continued retention of the allocations as unjustifiable, accusing the Federal Government of using intimidation and coercive tactics in an issue that should be resolved through the rule of law.
The labour centre maintained that the Federal Government had no discretion to determine which court judgments it would obey, warning that such an approach was unacceptable in a democratic society.
“We express solidarity with the striking workers of Osun State in pursuit of the release of the withheld local government funds and urge the federal government authorities to release those funds without further delay.
“The non-release of these funds has caused considerable damage to governance at the local government council level with collateral implications. “There is no justification whatsoever for the continued seizure of these funds other than to prove the point that the federal government is above the law,” the statement read.
The Congress also condemned what it described as the Federal Government’s disregard for judicial pronouncements, stressing that respect for the rule of law remained a fundamental responsibility of every tier of government.
“However, we do not need this level of intimidation or arm-twisting in a democracy. The federal government cannot cherry-pick which decisions of courts to obey and which it will not,” it stated.
The NLC further praised the striking workers for maintaining order and discipline throughout their industrial action, urging them to sustain the peaceful approach and ensure that their legitimate demands did not result in violence or public disorder.
“We commend the Osun workers for conducting themselves with utmost decorum in prosecuting this action, and we urge them to keep it so… always peaceful.”
The Congress reaffirmed its solidarity with the workers, urging the Federal Government to release the withheld allocations promptly to restore effective administration and service delivery at the grassroots.
