BEVERLY HILLS, March 10, (THEWILL) – Akwa Ibom’s chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to recall any National Assembly member from the state supporting the controversial new minimum wage bill.
The state Chairman of the unions’ umbrella body, Comrade Sunny James, issued the threat during an organised peaceful protest by NLC in Uyo Wednesday, saying that the minimum wage provision must not be removed from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List.
James noted that the bill lacked “locus standi” to be displayed at the floor of the House, stressing that the matter should be thrown to the “trash bin” to avoid friction.
He advised the National Assembly to promote bills towards ending the insecurity bedevilling the country and make laws to ensure that anyone caught with unlicensed firearms are arrested and prosecuted.
The NLC Chairman said: “We are happy because we didn’t see any of our legislators supporting the bill. If we see any, such a person would be recalled from the National Assembly.
“Instead of making a law to say we (NLC) won’t have food to eat, the National Assembly should make laws against insecurity that anybody caught with an AK-47 should be sentenced to life imprisonment.
“What do you mean by deregulation when you don’t have refineries? That means, buy anywhere and sell anywhere, and anyhow.
“Labour is saying, build new refineries everywhere in this country so that we can refine our petroleum products and sell it within ourselves. That is the only way the market forces can go against each other.”
Receiving the protesters at the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, the Clerk, Mrs. Mandu Umoren, told them that their demands would be communicated appropriately to the Speaker who, she said, was away on a national assignment.
Umoren emphasised that the issue of the minimum wage could not be tinkered with by the assembly or the state government since the administration was operating a workers-friendly environment.
“Akwa Ibom was one of the very first states to implement the minimum wage and I want to believe that the government would not go back as pressurised by Garba Datti of the National Assembly,” she said.
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