A primary school teacher, who did not want to be named, lamented the comments of the NLC President, saying: "I am surprised at Wabba's statement which is at variance with the reality on ground in the state. Maybe he took some substances before the visit on the Governor".
Delta State workers, under the umbrella of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), have chastised Ayuba Wabba, the NLC President for pouring "encomiums" on Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State over workers-related issues in the state.
At a courtesy visit to the Governor in his office on Thursday, Wabba had referred to Okowa as a "labour-friendly Governor with unparallelled and unprecedented open-door policy".
He said: "Here, in Delta State, salaries are being paid as and when due, pensioners receive their pensions as and when due as well, and you have extended a lot of assistance to the local governments from the state coffers."
However, the NLC President's comments did not go down well with workers and pensioners in the state.
Vice chairman, Association Of Contributory Retirees (ACR) in Delta State, Anthony Osanekwu, expressed displeasure over the pensioners-are-being-paid-as-and-when due statement.
"How can the NLC President make such a statement when the state NLC chairman is fully aware of our predicaments. It is unfortunate. As I talk, we met yesterday and a letter has been sent to the state Governor and we copied the state Commissioner of Police, who prevented us the last time from carrying out a peaceful protest against the Governor and his government over the ill-treatment of pensioners in the state," Osanekwu said.
"We have always protested the non-payment of our entitlements and ill-treatment by the state government. We shall meet to review this statement of the NLC President. We are dying and suffering; pensioners in the state are not being fairly treated, but I can confirm to you that in a few days' time, we are embarking on a mass protest over the non-payment of all our entitlements."
An executive member of the Delta State chapter of the NLC blamed the statement of the NLC National President on the State Chairman of NLC, who misled him in the bid to curry favour.
"I am most pained about the pensioners' issue. We are all aware of the suffering being meted on the pensioners by the current state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa. Times without number, retirees in Delta State under the umbrella of the Association Of Contributory Retirees (ACR) had embarked on a series of protests against Okowa over the non-payment of their entitlements.
"During those protests, the pensioners who are already aging accused the governor of embezzling all the tranches of the Paris Club refund and bailout fund released to the state by the Federal Government. It is very wrong of our state NLC chairman to mislead Wabba to say pensioners are being paid as at when due. The state NLC chairman and the secretary in connivance with Okowa's SA on labour, Okeme are those helping Governor Okowa to kill the state workers.
"The LGA salaries being owed workers in the state have not been cleared as promised by our governor. Till date, promotion arrears have not been paid to workers yet Okowa is busy releasing millions of Naira to people who paid him a courtesy visit and pour encomiums on him. I am pleading with Governor Okowa to learn from former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. Workers are suffering and dying under Okowa's government."
A cross-section of workers in the state, who also reacted to Wabba's comments, questioned the parameters the NLC president used to base his judgement.
A civil servant, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: "NLC National President, Wabba, is not only a disappointment but a confused fellow who has been briefed how how to praise-sing Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and get monetary rewards. It is a big disservice to Delta State workers for Wabba who knows nothing about the workers in the state to come and begin to praise the governor for taking good care of workers and pensioners. We workers in Delta state are suffering and smiling, especially the pensioners."
"Did the NLC National President ever bother to ask the Governor about the local government council workers, the teachers, and pensioners? It is only a sycophant like Wabba who is looking for favour that can praise Governor Okowa on the welfare of workers in the state. Wabba is a stupid man, rubber stamp NLC President. Common minimum wage, he is finding hard to fight, only to come to Delta State to praise Okowa," another aggrieved civil servant stated.
A primary school teacher, who did not want to be named, lamented the comments of the NLC President, saying: "I am surprised at Wabba's statement which is at variance with the reality on ground in the state. Maybe he took some substances before the visit on the Governor".