Wike, Fayose, and other Governors dragged to court for none payment of salaries
Eleven state governors have been dragged to
the International Criminal Court (ICC) by the
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability
Project (SERAP) over their failure to pay
workers salaries.
In the petition dated July 7, and signed by its
executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the
group accused state governments owing
workers salaries of committing crimes against
humanity, This Day reports.
The group said it was concerned that non-
payment of workers’ salaries by several state
governments in Nigeria has made life
impossible to live for the workers and their
families.
SERAP urged the ICC prosecutor, Fatou
Bensouda, to probe the collective punishment
and crimes against humanity on workers owed
salaries.
The petition read: “ The state governors ought
to know that their actions and/or omissions
would likely cause serious physical or mental
suffering or a serious attack upon the human
dignity of workers whose salaries are not paid.
“Non-payment of salaries for several months
has reduced Nigerian workers to ‘bare life’, or
life not worth living, thus taking away their
human dignity. The inhumanity of the non-
payment of workers’ salaries is illustrated by
the serious threats this poses to the workers’
physical and mental health, and family life as
well as their ability to contribute to the
development of the country. The non-payment
of salaries has created an environment of
powerlessness for several workers and
perpetuated a system of impunity in many
states.
“SERAP believes that the non-payment of
salaries of workers amounts to a serious
attack on human dignity covered in the
definition of ‘other inhumane acts’ under the
Rome Statute, and fit within the ICC’s
mandate. The gravity of non-payment of
workers’ salaries for several months should
not be dismissed a priori as lesser than that
of the radically egregious acts the ICC has so
far prosecuted .”
The civil society organization argued that
depriving workers of their salaries amounts to
depriving them of their livelihood and
necessities to the right to life and human
dignity and also cause them suffering.
SERAP therefore, urged the ICC to bring to
justice anyone who is responsible for the
inhumane acts committed against Nigerian
workers as prohibited under the Rome Statute
of the International Criminal Court to which
Nigeria is a state party.
The group listed the 11 governors it dragged
before the ICC as; Rauf Agbesola of Osun
state, Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo state, Ayodele
Fayose of Ekiti state, Abdulfatah Ahmed of
Kwara state, Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state
,Nyesom Wike of Rivers state.
Others are Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa state,
Samuel Ortom of Benue state, Mohammed
Abubakar of Bauchi state, Yahaya Bello of Kogi
state and Simon Lalong of Plateau state.
the International Criminal Court (ICC) by the
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability
Project (SERAP) over their failure to pay
workers salaries.
In the petition dated July 7, and signed by its
executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the
group accused state governments owing
workers salaries of committing crimes against
humanity, This Day reports.
The group said it was concerned that non-
payment of workers’ salaries by several state
governments in Nigeria has made life
impossible to live for the workers and their
families.
SERAP urged the ICC prosecutor, Fatou
Bensouda, to probe the collective punishment
and crimes against humanity on workers owed
salaries.
The petition read: “ The state governors ought
to know that their actions and/or omissions
would likely cause serious physical or mental
suffering or a serious attack upon the human
dignity of workers whose salaries are not paid.
“Non-payment of salaries for several months
has reduced Nigerian workers to ‘bare life’, or
life not worth living, thus taking away their
human dignity. The inhumanity of the non-
payment of workers’ salaries is illustrated by
the serious threats this poses to the workers’
physical and mental health, and family life as
well as their ability to contribute to the
development of the country. The non-payment
of salaries has created an environment of
powerlessness for several workers and
perpetuated a system of impunity in many
states.
“SERAP believes that the non-payment of
salaries of workers amounts to a serious
attack on human dignity covered in the
definition of ‘other inhumane acts’ under the
Rome Statute, and fit within the ICC’s
mandate. The gravity of non-payment of
workers’ salaries for several months should
not be dismissed a priori as lesser than that
of the radically egregious acts the ICC has so
far prosecuted .”
The civil society organization argued that
depriving workers of their salaries amounts to
depriving them of their livelihood and
necessities to the right to life and human
dignity and also cause them suffering.
SERAP therefore, urged the ICC to bring to
justice anyone who is responsible for the
inhumane acts committed against Nigerian
workers as prohibited under the Rome Statute
of the International Criminal Court to which
Nigeria is a state party.
The group listed the 11 governors it dragged
before the ICC as; Rauf Agbesola of Osun
state, Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo state, Ayodele
Fayose of Ekiti state, Abdulfatah Ahmed of
Kwara state, Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state
,Nyesom Wike of Rivers state.
Others are Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa state,
Samuel Ortom of Benue state, Mohammed
Abubakar of Bauchi state, Yahaya Bello of Kogi
state and Simon Lalong of Plateau state.
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