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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has identified Benue, Plateau and Osun as the worst states in terms of payment of workers’ salaries.

NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, in his New Year message to Nigerian workers released yesterday in Abuja said that while most states and the federal government are owing workers, Benue, Plateau and Osun states owe for the most number of months.

His words: “Collated reports from our state councils indicate that a number of state governments and some federal MDAs have not paid their workers for December as the year comes to an end. Of the 30 states reporting as of December 30, 11 subjected their workers to a Christmas/New Year celebration without the December salary.

“Three of these, Benue, Plateau and Osun, owed their workers arrears of salaries ranging from three to eight months! Some Federal Government employees in the Ministries of Education, Labour and Productivity, among others, are owed arrears of salaries ranging from one to three months.

“We condemn this insensitivity to the welfare of workers. Any state Governor who cannot pay workers their salaries, as and when due, has no moral justification for taking his own salary and allowances. We call on workers to massively reject these anti-worker politicians in the 2015 elections.”

Outside workers issues, NLC scored the Goodluck Jonathan administration low in the area of security, especially with regard to its failure to solve the Boko Haram insurgency. The Congress lamented government’s failure to locate and rescue the Chibok girls abducted and held by Boko Haram since April, describing it as a dagger piercing the heart of the nation.

It advised Nigerians to prepare for the worst this year since government has failed to give any meaningful reason for optimism.

•Photo shows NLC President Abdulwaheed Omar.

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