Bail out: NLC urges Buhari to send ICPC, EFCC after Governors  

Organised Labour has charged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission
(ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to track afresh and make public how the Governors diverted and misused the bail out funds given to them.
According to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Ayuba Wabba this will be with a view to fully recover the funds from the culpable governors.
Speaking against the background of the governors calling for “reduce personnel costs of FG MDAs”, among some other things which the NLC queried what it meant, if it’s  “Mass retrenchment? Wage cuts? Wage freeze? Recruitment freeze or what?”, Wabba said if any costs need taming, it’s the profligate life style of governors, the excesses and ostentatious lifestyle of political office holders and the corruption they promote.
He said, “Governors are clawing and clutching at everything in sight in order to save their skin because the moment of truth (the moment of refund) is here.
“We recall you had the presence of mind to give out huge bail-out and budget support funds to enable the Governors clear backlogs of salaries and pensions for which we workers remain grateful to you. 
“You equally halted repayments during COVID-19 pandemic. There could be no better demonstration of understanding and empathy by a leader, but the Governors abused it all as few of them applied these funds to the purposes for which the funds were given.”
The NLC noted that not more than 20% of these funds were properly channelled, stating that in the past, ICPC normally tracked down how funds were used.
“Certainly, we will never be in support of waste in any form and personnel costs, in our view ought not constitute a waste given the fact that the greatest assets of any nation are its personnel for whom nothing is too big to be given. 
“When this is realised in concurrence with the contemplations of the Directive Principles of the State in the 1999 Constitution ( as amended), it will not be too difficult to see why personnel costs benefit the nation and the citizenry ahead of capital projects.
“By far, the fastest way of reviving the economy is through building the capacity of its personnel because of its multiplier effect. President Obama put this strategy to good use. President Obasanjo also did same when he reviewed upward the wages of workers across board in the early 2000-.”
The Congress equally slammed the governors on their recommendations for the introduction of state sales taxes (flat rate of 10 per cent), increment of VAT levels to 10.per cent with a timeline to further raise it to 1 5—20 per cent and introduction of a flat rate of 3 per cent Federal Personal Income Tax on all Nigerians earning more than N30,OOO and compulsory payment of FPIT by persons earning less than N30,OOO per month whether employed or not including farmers and traders.
The NLC stated that these recommendations seek to make the poor pay more taxes while the rich pay little or nothing in clear violation of the well-known norm of the rich paying taxes to cover up for the poor, which it said is a global norm and practice.
The NLC President lamented that it has been an established fact that only workers religiously pay tax through the principle and practice of PAYE- Petty traders and farmers are over-taxed/multi-taxed along the nation’s highways at various checkpoints, and at the places where they ply their trade. 
He said, “We recall several protests connected to this practice which has killed not a few fledgling businesses.
‘In light of this, we find it repugnant that any reasonable person acting reasonably would still seek to impose more taxes, and consequently more hardships on this segment of society.
“The rich should be the ones to be compelled to pay more taxes as obtained in other civilized societies and not what the Governors are canvassing for. Accordingly, we call for a raise in taxes across the board for the rich, including increased taxes on luxury goods and lifestyles.”