Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Government has debunked allegation making the rounds that it has sealed the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) secretariat in Port Harcourt.
This development happened barely 24 hours after the state government dared the NLC to make good its alleged threat to protest on issues bordering on the minimum wage.
Special Adviser, Special Projects and Head Bureau for Special Projects, George Kelly, in a statement yesterday, noted with dismay, fake news in the public domain alleging that the Labour’s office was shut as a result of minimum wage-related issues.
Kelly said the report was untrue and intended to mislead the public. He urged Rivers people to discountenance the news.
According to him, the Labour building in the state capital, was undergoing structural inspections and it was proper to seal the place till the inspections are over.
“The attention of the Bureau for Special Projects have been drawn to a frivolous news milling the rounds that the NLC secretariat was sealed as a result of minimum wage-related issues.
“This is not only untrue, but also a calculated attempt at misleading the public against the genuine intentions of government.
“As you may be aware, the NLC structure, which was built pro-bono by the Rivers State government for Labour was completed and commissioned only a few months ago by the Bureau and it is our normal practice to carry out general inspections and structural integrity evaluation or tests before the expiration of the defects liability period.
“It is this activity that precedes the release of the five percent retention fees due any contractor six months or a year upon practical completion of the project. This is not new to every contractor or client in the construction industry,” he said.
Kelly said it was the contractor that reported to the Bureau a structural defect, which must be immediately fixed to avoid further deterioration/risks of incidents.
“The Bureau had to act expeditiously by giving him a go-ahead to conduct a thorough structural integrity evaluation in liaison with the Bureau’s in-house consultants; and of course, this can only be done by first sealing off the place, because the place cannot be in use while the exercise is on,” Kelly said.