Kogiflame.com
The Kogi State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has called on the state government to sack the state and local government auditor general from service.
Addressing workers in the state during the workers day held at the Confluence Stadium, the state Chairman of NLC, Comrade Onu Edoka said the state auditor general Mr. Yakubu Okala and the local government auditor general Alhaji Ahmed Ododo were responsible for the pathetic situation of workers in the state.
According to him, the two compounded the faith of workers during the screening exercises adding that when people were cleared they failed to pay some.
He stressed that they mess up the whole exercises noting that they confused the government.
He said that although it was a good intention from the government but sadly the exercise was messed up which brought hardship to workers in the state.
Edoka added that the committee that handled the screening exercise misinformed the state government by not them them the true position of things.
“Workers in the state are being owed between 7 and 30 months depending on when they get clearance from the screening committee members.
He called for the sacking of members of the screening committee which he said brought about the confusion due to selected clearance with attendant delay in salary payments to those category of workers.
On the issue of Ajaokuta Steel Company, the workers vowed to resist any attempt by the Federal government to concession the moribund Ajaokuta steel company.
Edoka and the President of Nigeria Union of Mines Workers NUNW, Comerade Momohjimoh Salami said the Ajaokuta steel company is a national asset which should not be discarded in the name of concession.
Instead, they said that government should set machinery in motion towards making funds available for the completion of the plant
Comerade Momojimoh Salami particularly said that if Ajaokuta was operational, Nigeria would have no reason to complain of unemployment as the company could provide minimum of 50,000 direct employment and thousand more indirect employment for our teaming youths.
He lamented the role allegedly being played by the world powers to frustrated the take off of the company.
“For their own selfish reason, the world powers of the United States of America,Britain and other European countries have continued to frustrate all efforts geared towards revamping the company and successive governments over the years have not demonstrated any political will.
He also expressed concern about the recent decision of President Muhammad Buhari to decline accent to the resolution of the National Assembly calling of the Federal government to withdraw N1 billion dollars from excess crude account for the purpose of revamping Ajaokuta steel company.
Comrade Salami who is also the chairman, Ajaokuta steel workers Union said that that by that singular action of not accenting to the bill, the workers felt betrayed and demoralised and this have also shown that the federal government has not demonstrated any political will to revive the company.
