Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) ended its meeting in Enugu with a call on politicians to exercise restraint as we enter the 2019 electioneering period.
It said no human life is worth losing in the quest for power.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the association advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remain unbiased as the umpire and ensure that the general elections were free, fair and credible.
The communique signed by the national president, Comrade Muhammad Yunusa and the secretary, Comrade Ayo Olorunfemi also commended government’s efforts in fighting insecurity and criminality in the country.
It, however, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to combat “the nefarious acts of herdsmen, kidnapping and Boko Haram insurgency in the country “.
They frowned at the non-payment of workers salaries in the states despite the release of bailout funds and Paris Club refunds to them.
“We hereby call on state governments to as a matter of urgency pay salaries owed workers in order to ameliorate the sufferings and hardship being experienced by workers, ” the association demanded.
The communique further states: “The NEC in session noted clearly that the present National Minimum wage has been eroded with the current inflation in the country. We hereby call on the government to immediately forward a Bill to the National Assembly on the proposed new minimum wage so as to ameliorate the economic hardship workers have been made to go through.
“The NEC in session noted with dismay how government at all levels had abandoned the provision of potable drinking water for her citizens, we hereby call on governments to as a matter of urgency begin to resuscitate moribund water distribution networks in the country and fund the Water Corporations in the states.
“The current poverty in the country is alarming and the need to curb this cannot be over emphasised. We call on governments at all levels to consciously create economic policies that will genuinely alleviate poverty in the land”.