NLC Demands Protection for Workers Amid Rivers Political Crisis

The Rivers State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for the protection of workers, insisting that they should not suffer the consequences of the ongoing political crisis in the state.

In a communiqué issued after its State Executive Council (SEC) meeting on Thursday in Port Harcourt, the NLC demanded the immediate implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage at the local government level and the payment of all outstanding salaries owed to local government workers.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, NLC State Chairman, Alex Agwanwor, reaffirmed the union’s opposition to the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. He emphasized the need for early payment of public workers’ salaries and called for a transparent reconciliation process to resolve the crisis.

Agwanwor warned that if salaries are not paid by the end of March 2025, the NLC would explore all legal means to protect its members, including the possibility of industrial action.

Local government workers in the state have yet to receive their February salaries following the Supreme Court’s ruling on February 28, 2025, which nullified the October 5, 2024, local government elections and led to the dismissal of all 23 LGA chairmen.

Rivers State is currently under the administration of a Sole Administrator appointed by President Bola Tinubu after a six-month state of emergency was declared. This move suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Nma Odu, and all elected members of the state House of Assembly.

The president’s decision has sparked widespread criticism from political figures, labor unions, civil society organizations, and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), with many questioning the implications for democracy and governance in the state.