Kogiflame.com
The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC), kogi state chapter,, Comrade Onuh Edoka has described the the claim of kogi state Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello that he was not owing workers in the state civil service as very unfair and most unfortunate.
The chairman stated this at the Government House Lokoja on Wednesday, during a meeting at the instant of the government to resolve some grew areas bordering on workers welfare.
The Governor while granting press interview recently after the Northern Governor’s forum in Kaduna had said that his Government was not owing workers any arrears of salary.
The Chairman had earlier observed that he was not on a courtsey call as claimed by the government, saying he wouldnt pay courtsey call on the governor when his members are dying of hunger arising from non payment of several months of salary arrears.
Edoko said it was unfortunate, the statement credited to Governor Bello that he was not owing workers salaries , saying that if at all he was owing it was the salary backlog left for him by the administration of captain Idris Wada.
Edoka said he was shocked when the governor said on live television that he was not owing kogi workers a dime.
He said he had earlier took what the aides were saying about salaries as just a joke, stressing that for the governor who he believes knows he was owing huge salaries to make such a claim was unbelievable
” I thought what some of your aides were saying was a joke. Not until the governor confirmed his aides statements at the Northern governors meeting held in Kaduna recently that he is up to date in salary payment.
” Let me put the records straight. The former governor captain Idris Ichalla wada spent 48 months in office and he paid 45 months salaries leaving allocation of December 2015 and January 2016 for the Bello administration to access.
“The truth is that your administration is hugely indebted to Kogi workers and the governor should find a means to defray it rather than denying it publicly.” Edoka lamented
He advise the governor to set up committee to go round some establishment to find out the true situation of poverty across the state , saying that pupils and students could no longer go to school, patients cannot access drugs even as petty businesses have closed due to lack of patronage.
Bello who was stunned by the revelation of the labour Leader, on the true situation of deteriorating workers welfare in the state, agreed to work out modalities to resolve the impasse.
He told organised labour that his government has done much with the lean resources to develop the state, adding that in less than three years he build Kogi Board of Internal Revenue service office complex, complete Ankpa township roads and several others roads across the state , among other projects executed by his administration.
He called on the leadership of the organised labour to support his administration for effective delivery of dividends of democracy to the citizenry, assuring of better days ahead.
