Unpaid salaries: SERAP petitions ICC against state governors

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has petitioned International Criminal Court, ICC, alleging crimes against humanity against state governments owing workers arrears of salaries.

In a petition dated July 7 and signed by its  Executive Director, Tokunbo Mumuni, SERAP urged ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, to investigate what it described as collective punishment and crimes against humanity on workers owed salaries.

“We are seriously 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.

“We also urge you to bring to justice anyone who is responsible for the inhumane acts committed against Nigerian workers and prohibited under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to which Nigeria is a state party.”

SERAP observed that due to unpaid salaries, Nigerian workers have been subjected to “severe deprivation, mental and physical health challenges. This means that individual liability may attach to governors who continue to hide under the excuse of ‘limited allocations from Abuja’ to deny these workers the fruit of their labour.”