Entrance of Ikwerre Local Government Council, Rivers State, barricaded on Thursday morning.
Local government workers across Rivers State have commenced a three-day warning strike over issues arising from the ongoing verification exercise in the 23 local government areas, with the industrial action leading to disruptions at some council headquarters and intervention by security agencies.
The action followed a resolution of the State Executive Council of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) at an emergency meeting held on Wednesday, October 7.
In a directive sighted by The Atlantic Bell, NULGE ordered all employees serving in the 23 local government areas to embark on a three-day warning strike with effect from midnight of Thursday, October 8.
The union directed all local government workers, including principal officers and other staff, to fully comply with the industrial action.
It also mandated all State Administrative Council members and branch chairmen to enforce full compliance and effectively mobilise workers throughout the strike. NULGE, however, advised workers to remain calm, peaceful and orderly during the period of the industrial action.
The union said the decision to embark on the warning strike followed issues and concerns arising from the implementation of the LGA verification exercise which, in the view of the State Executive Council, require urgent attention and appropriate action.
The development comes against the backdrop of growing anxiety among local government workers over the ongoing audit of personnel and payrolls across the state.
The verification exercise has already uncovered what the committee conducting the exercise described in its preliminary findings as more than 4,000 illegal employments across the 23 local government councils.
A large number of alleged ghost workers have also reportedly been identified since the exercise commenced. As part of the verification process, workers have been asked to submit their employment details and bank statements, among other documents, to establish the authenticity of their appointments and payroll records.
The exercise has generated considerable uncertainty among council workers, particularly over the possibility of disengagement of employees whose records are found to be irregular.
The situation has also been linked to delays in the payment of salaries, adding to the concerns of workers who are demanding clarification and resolution of the issues surrounding the verification exercise.
Following the commencement of the warning strike, workers in some parts of the state reportedly barricaded council headquarters as they insisted on the implementation of the union’s directive and expressed their concerns over the verification process.
The development has attracted the intervention of security agencies at some council headquarters, resulting in tension in some locations.
In particular, the situation in Ikwerre Local Government Area reportedly became tense as security personnel moved in to restore order amid the gathering of workers around the council headquarters.
There were reports of the use of teargas by the police during the confrontation, as security personnel sought to disperse the workers.
The development has heightened concerns among the workers, who have urged the authorities to exercise restraint and allow the industrial dispute to be resolved through dialogue.
The NULGE directive, however, specifically urged its members to remain peaceful and orderly throughout the three-day action, suggesting that the union’s immediate objective is to draw attention to the issues arising from the verification exercise rather than create a breakdown of law and order.
The union’s position is that the concerns arising from the implementation of the exercise have reached a point requiring urgent intervention by the authorities.
The workers are particularly concerned about the distinction between genuine employees and those whose appointments may be considered illegal or irregular.
While there appears to be broad support for efforts to eliminate ghost workers and sanitise the local government payroll, workers have urged the government to ensure that legitimate employees are not affected by the exercise.
They have also called for a transparent verification process that allows affected workers to present their employment records and respond to any queries concerning their appointments.
The discovery of more than 4,000 alleged illegal employments has meanwhile raised wider questions about the circumstances surrounding the appointments, including how such names came to be captured and retained on the payrolls of the 23 councils.
The outcome of the exercise is expected to determine the actual workforce of the councils and potentially have significant implications for their personnel costs and monthly wage obligations.
The current industrial action therefore places pressure on both the government and the workers to resolve the outstanding issues surrounding the verification exercise.
For the workers, the immediate concern is the protection of legitimate employment and the resolution of issues affecting salary payments.
For the government, the exercise is aimed at establishing an accurate and credible local government workforce and eliminating ghost workers and alleged illegal employments from the payroll.
NULGE has directed its members to remain on the warning strike for three days while urging them to conduct themselves peacefully and orderly.
The unfolding situation is being closely watched as the government and local government workers await further engagement on the issues that triggered the industrial action.