Many state governors have relocated to Abuja permanently, says Ajaero

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, has lamented that many Nigerian governors have abandoned their states and are now living permanently in Abuja.

Mr Ajaero stated this when he visited Lokoja, the Kogi State Capital, for the distribution of CNG buses to the chapter of NLC.

According to him, the NLC leadership has visited five zones but regretted that the governors were always absent, having travelled to Abuja.

According to him, the situation has worsened the economic situations in many states.

He said, “However, there is a problem we are having in trends because most governors are now living permanently in Abuja. We have moved to about five zones, Kogi is about the fifth zone.

“We have met governors in only one state. Each time you go there, they are in Abuja and this is affecting governance.

“I think we should be able to manage the centre and the units, so people will have the feeling of democracy, the dividend of democracy, so that people can talk to their leaders.

“So, if we capture all these things, the information you are going to give us will be conditional if the governor is around.

“If he’s around, we will convey your information to him. If he’s not around, whoever he’s going to send, we pass it to him.”

The labour leader also warned that governors don’t have the power to proscribe labour unions.

His comment was in reaction to the proscription of labour unions by former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello.

He said: “Let me say here, union practice falls under the exclusive legislative list in the Constitution. No governor has the power to ban them, you don’t ban what you don’t have control over.

“Unions are registered nationally by the Registrar of Trade Unions. For administrative convenience, they may choose to have branches in states, so what are you now banning?”

The NLC president, who expressed surprise that such a thing exists in the state, said the state government lacked the right to proscribe unions under the exclusive legislative list.

While stressing that workers were feeling the heat of the harsh economic realities, with the high cost of living, Mr Ajaero said plans tariff increase would escalate the situation.