THE EMPTY CLAIMS OF COMRADE ARANDONG’S ACHIEVEMENTS
we couldn’t help but laugh when we saw the so-called achievements of Comrade Arandong as enumerated by his supporters’ spokesperson Mr. Hillary Shown. Claims of facilitating promotions for over 8,000 members, upgrading staff to Grade Level 16, and securing a wage award of ₦6,000 out of ₦35,000 are nothing but his incompetency and taking a thick tea during the process of negotiations. These are not achievements, but mere government handouts and goodwills.
The core problem facing workers is the need for improved welfare through an increase salaries and upgrade of salaries from 55 percent to 85 percent as that of state which was but a product of a signed agreement, whenever subventions improves and subventions has inproved three folds over a year now without a corresponding increase in our salaries. NULGE members were transferred in August, 2020 when transportation was barely ₦1000 or ₦1500 in some cases, from Jos to the southern part of the state, and now it’s ₦6000 to ₦7000 over a year now without a corresponding increase in salaries as earlier agreed and signed. Uptill this moment disturbance allowances have not been paid up to 25 percent in the various local governments after three years of transfers, does that means he hasn’t woken them from their sleep in that respect? In the case of delegates for the SDC, thank God some of the agitators like Mr. Shown are either Muslims or Christians, elders in their churches and taken communion, can they hold their holy books and swear that delegates were democratically selected and elected in their various local governments of service? If they do swear before the presence of NULGE membership, we will stop contesting their claims and forever.
Comrade Arandong’s supporters tout loans from the Federal Mortgage Bank as an achievement. But have they considered the long-term implications? Those who benefited from the loans will have their futures mortgaged, with deductions made from their salaries and such deductions for repayments are not yet commenced even after benefited for long! Their accounts are already reading with zero balances or with a little contributions of five or six months out of three years, and are not active because deductions are not being remitted, and they will be forced to repay thNULGEis accumulated loans through their noses when they least expected, those that benefited should better think as fast as possible in order to help free themselves from this bondage.
The claim of establishing a cordial relationship with the commission is also laughable. Were staff in conflict with the commission in the first place? It’s a shame to see such empty claims paraded as achievements. Comrade Arandong’s supporters need to rethink their strategy and come up with better lies.
All the above claims has motivated us to ask the following questions:
1) Could they say that government has been idle and irresponsible in their duty to promote and convert staff, until he came on board in the years under review?
2) Could they say that government have not been implementating the previous and were also not ready to implement the recent promotions, until he woke them from their slumber?
3) Could they say that the commission’s relationship with her staff was like that of cat and mouse, until he came on board in the years under review?
If Comrade Arandong’s supporters argues that he stands as the best choice of our members against Comrades Ezekiel Musa Yelwa, Dauda Aku and Collins, which of course we doubt it. We challenge him or his supporters for an open debate, true democratic free and fair elections on his so-called achievements. Thanks to our still serving members and our retirees who called our attention to remind us of the emptiness of these claims and the press conference that showcased them.
COMRADE IZERE MAXWELL IGYEM
On Behalf of The Majority Agrieve Members of NULGE.
