NLC Attributes Suspension To Stance Against Illegal Deductions

The embattled Chairman of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), in Ebonyi, Mr Ikechukwu Nwafor, has attributed his suspension to his stand against “the illegal pension deductions from the salaries of workers by the State Government.’’
He told newsmen in Abakaliki last Thursday that the crisis was far from the spurious allegations levelled against him.
“Some persons within the congress are being used to scuttle our position on the controversial Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), recently introduced by Ebonyi government.
“NLC under my watch has insisted that the law establishing the pension scheme which stipulated payment of 10 per cent by the employer and eight per cent by the employee must be followed to the letter.
“The scheme in the state provides that government will contribute five per cent to the scheme while the workers will contribute 10 per cent and we are saying that the system contravened the pension law as amended’’, he said.
He further stated that government kicked off the scheme without providing the workers with the choice of Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs), to manage the money that would be deducted from their salaries.
Nwafor said the exercise lacked merit and was not in conformity with the constitution of the Congress.
“I don’t want to join issues with anybody because the illegal exercise was carried out by some desperate members of the congress without due regard to the constitution.
“All the allegations levelled against me, including financial misappropriation, are not only spurious but can never be backed up by any documentary evidence.
“The entire exercise is an action meant to cause disaffection among labour leaders and destabilize the state chapter of NLC,’’ Nwafor said.
He explained that the constitution of the congress empowered only the treasury to take custody of all monies coming into coffers, adding that every expenditure must be approved by the State Administrative Council (SAC).
Nwafor said that the allegations of graft, financial misappropriation and unauthorized spending were not only untenable but designed to smear his good reputation.
He said that the congress’ constitution provided for internal resolution mechanism in the event of crisis but said those who moved for his suspension never exhausted that provision.
“Assuming that I have contravened any section of the constitution of the congress as alleged, the same constitution provides for internal dispute resolution mechanism but none of this was adhered to by the architects of the alleged suspension”, he added.
A faction of the NLC led by Mr Leonard Nkah on Wednesday, March 15,   suspended Nwafor indefinitely for alleged graft and financial misappropriation.