The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Plateau State has rejected a proposed bill seeking to grant life pensions and retirement benefits to members of the Plateau State House of Assembly, threatening to shut down the legislature if the legislation is not withdrawn.
The NLC, alongside the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Plateau State, announced plans to picket the Assembly complex on July 30, describing the bill as anti-people and self-serving.
Addressing journalists in Jos on Wednesday, Plateau NLC Chairman Eugene Manji said organised labour would sustain the protest until the proposed legislation was withdrawn.
He argued that legislative autonomy was intended to strengthen democracy, not to promote personal enrichment, and urged Governor Caleb Mutfwang to intervene to prevent unnecessary tension in the state.
TUC Chairman Kenneth Shammah described the proposal as insensitive, noting that the state was still struggling to clear pension arrears owed to retired workers.
He maintained that lawmakers who served only one term should not receive lifetime pensions while many pensioners remained unpaid.
Coalition Convener Steve Aluko also condemned the bill, describing it as undemocratic and lacking transparency.
The groups warned they would mobilise residents against lawmakers supporting the proposal if it is not withdrawn. The Assembly has yet to officially respond.