>
Former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, has painted a grim picture of the plight of workers in Nasarawa State.
Maku, who was All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate in the 2015 election in the state, addressed a press conference this morning in Lafia, the state capital.
According to him, the state government, led by Umaru Tanko al-Makura of All Progressives Congress (APC) is presiding over a failed state where “hunger and poverty” rules.
Part of his speech at the press conference released via his Twitter handle reads:
“The Almakura government, on assuming office, has continued to perpetuate hunger and poverty on hapless Nasarawa Indegenes.
“Now there is total absence of salaries for state workers. Some workers get salary alerts as ridiculous as N25 to N1000.
“Salary alerts have become alarms under Almakura. It is a pathetic humour. Nasarawa has become the test case of a failed state under APC.
“Now there is total absence of salaries for state workers. Some workers get salary alerts as ridiculous as N25 to N1000.
“A failed state is characterised by hunger, poverty, breakdown in institutional infrastructure, and fear That is Nasarawa under Al Makura
“Nasarawa Primary schools have been shut down Teachers have been on prolonged strike after waiting endlessly for their salaries to be paid
“No primary school pupil in a government school will be graduating this year in Nasarawa State. The situation is one of absolute disaster
“We got here because the funds released to Nasarawa State over the past 5 years was frittered off by public servants under Gov. Almakura.
“Despite loans of over N50Bn, Gov Almakura has presided over the looting of over N100Bn in the last 5 yrs. Yet salaries remain unpaid”
Recall that last Friday, police opened fire on protesting workers, killing one and leaving others injured.
Workers in the state had embarked on an indefinite strike following the decision of the state government to slash their salary by 50 per cent. They were at the gate of the Government House awaiting the outcome of the meeting between NLC and Governor al-Makura when the incident occured.
Maku who happens to be the National Secretary of APGA, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of economic and social emergency in the state.
He said:
“Mr President @MBuhari should invoke the doctrine of necessity to declare a state of economic and social emergency to liberate Nasarawa
“I am aware of constitutional provisions on State of Emergency, but if we don’t move drastically people will continue to suffer unabated”.