In a new development, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Rivers State Chapter has issued a stern warning of potential industrial action if a recent court ruling halting federal allocations to the state is not overturned. This move, led by the state’s NLC Chairman, Alex Agwanwo, highlights the gravity of a judgment that could impact thousands of workers reliant on state funds.
At the heart of this brewing crisis is a judgment by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, which effectively blocks the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from releasing the monthly federal allocations intended for Rivers State. This decision has ignited alarm among the NLC leaders in Rivers, who argue that this freeze could cripple the state government’s ability to fulfill its financial obligations, particularly the payment of civil servants’ salaries.
Shortly after an emergency meeting with other labor leaders, Agwanwo addressed the press, expressing dismay over the court’s decision. He emphasized that the judgement lacked empathy for the ordinary worker and warned that it could thrust the state into unprecedented hardship if it remains unchallenged.
“The judgment lacks a human face,” Agwanwo stated emphatically. “The judge did not take the citizens and workers of Rivers State into consideration before giving the judgment.”
Agwanwo’s concerns are underscored by the financial implications for Rivers State if the allocation freeze is maintained. With the state’s ability to function hinging heavily on these federal funds, he argued that the judgment does not only threaten civil servants’ livelihoods but also compromises the government’s capacity to maintain governance, deliver public services, and meet its obligations to contractors and other sectors dependent on the state’s budget.
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Agwanwo directed his appeal to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to intervene in what he described as a matter of urgent national importance. According to him, only a swift intervention by the Court of Appeal could avert a situation where thousands of workers would be forced to cease services—a scenario that would further plunge the state into crisis.
“Everybody knows that taking allocation away from a state will put the state into suffering,” Agwanwo stated, with an urgency that seemed to capture the anxiety brewing within the state’s labor sector.
As Agwanwo and other labor leaders await a response, the mood among civil servants and other stakeholders remains tense, with workers and their families wondering what a stoppage in federal allocations could mean for their livelihoods.
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