TUC tells EFCC and ICPC to probe governors owing salaries, pension

The Trade Union Congress, TUC, yesterday, asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission, ICPC, to investigate state governors that are still owing workers arrears of pension, salaries and allowances.

The union said that it is mobilising support for next Tuesday’s nationwide protest by workers against the continued closure of federal universities due to lectures strike.

Speaking at the 12th Triennial National Delegates Conference of the union, out-going President of TUC, Comrade Quadiri Olaleye condemned the non payment of workers entitlement by the affected Governors despite recieving huge sums as bailout funds, budgetary support fund and the Paris Club debt refund.

The TUC boss lamented the hardship Nigerians are currently facing due to ailing economy and urged the federal government to lift the ban on some essential commodities, especially those ones that we do have close substitute.

Comrade Olaleye said, “The claim of the governors is that they gave no money to pay whereas they have money to pay their predecessors and also fund their reckless lifestyle. We condemn it and demand the EFCC and ICPC to investigate and bring the governors to book.”

On the trouble in the education sector, he said that the sector which is the bedrock of development has been neglected and allowed to be plagued with myriad of problems.

According to him members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have been on strike for five months due to poor funding, inadequate infrastructure.

He said, “The Congress is solidly behind ASUU and will continue to advocate for sanity in the sector. To this end, TUC is mobilising to join her counterpart, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in carrying out a nationwide protest to compel government to resolve the dispute with university workers.”