By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
The Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Kaduna State Chapter, salutes and congratulates the Nigerian Labour Congress, Kaduna State Chapter, on this special May Day.
“Your hard work and resilience to make the system and economy work, against all odds, has not passed unnoticed, we salute your courage, even in the face of adversity”.
The PDP disclosed the congratulatory message in a statement signed and issued by its publicity Secretary Alberta Kato to Journalists in Kaduna on 1st May 2018.
According to him,” The PDP has always and would always support your aspirations like it has always done in the past.
“During the PDP years in Kaduna State and Nigeria, we provided millions of employment opportunities through Establishment of new Ministries, Departments and Agencies that have direct bearing in the administration of the State and the Nation, with the Organised Labour as the major beneficiary,and this has been the reason why our Economy enjoyed a lot of activities that brought back the middle-class strata in our society, and became one of the fastest growing economies in the world, but suddenly disappeared within three years of APC maladministration. He said.
He further maintained that” The PDP in Kaduna State re-instated over 1,000 workers that were sacked by the Col.Hamid Ali’s (Rtd) Government and paid them their salary arrears in full. We also increased workers’ salaries, paid leave grants, gratuitous and pensions till the last day of our regime.
“The PDP sympathises with the Organised Labour in Kaduna State, where more than 50,000 of its workers have been sacked without payment of their gratuitous and pensions.
“We stand with you against this persecution and Injustice meted to you by the El-Rufai administration”.
“The APC Government of Nasir El-Rufai has bastardized the Civil Service in Kaduna State by running the State and civil service as if it’s a fiefdom of his, making the civil servants timid and uninterested in their jobs due to lack of motivation by the State Government.
He noted, “Since the inception of this administration, the civil servant has passed through more than six screening exercises, wherein one of such “screening exercises” several lives were lost at Zaria. May their soul’s rest in peace. Amen.
It is curious that the APC is using the “lack of funds” for this avoidable exercise when during the PDP administration, we were able to employ, pay salaries and allowances, gratuitous and pensions and also embark on massive infrastructural developmental projects across the State.
“The PDP will re-instate all sacked workers, retain the existing ones and also employ more if given the mandate in 2019.
“The APC promised to provide 4 million jobs, annually to Nigerians during the 2015 electioneering campaigns, but instead they are making you jobless without providing any, as promised.
“We call on all the Organised Labour to ensure that its members have their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVCs) ready to chase the APC Government out of office, come 2019.
“We salute the courage of governors Late Abubakar Rimi, Balarabe Musa and Lateef Jakande for thinking it aright to set aside the May Day,1st May of every year in the ’80s.
