TheCable

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) says workers and pensioners should obtain their voter cards in order to keep politicians on their toes.

Ayuba Wabba, president of the NLC, said this on Tuesday when he paid a visit to the national secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Abuja.

Wabba said political office holders who have anti-labour tendencies were on the increase.

He said asides pensioners, workers in the country are about eight million people which is a force any politician would reckon with.

“A lot of politicians say workers and pensioners do not have political value and therefore it is a big challenge, they even claim that we do not have voters card,” Wabba said.

“We are going to embark on a vigorous campaign for workers and pensioners to register and obtain their voters card.

“Because a process has been opened for workers, pensioners and their families to acquire voters’ card, where it is missing, re-validate it. We have the number. So we have the number to challenge any politician and make them realise that we are a force to reckon with.

“Because the notion also is that we are very comfortable and that we do not have voters card. It is very important for us to engage the system.”

The NLC president said it is unfortunate that workers and pensioners do not receive their pay and entitlements regularly.

On his part, Abel Afolayan, NUP president, decried the non-payment of the arrears of 33 per cent pension increase since 2010.

He said while civilian pensioners are being owed 18 months arrears, the police pensioners are owed 39 months.

“To be frank with you, some pensioners go home monthly with as low as N4,000 only. This is highly unfair and greatly inhuman,” Afolayan said.