The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello on Friday declared that monies amounting to several months salaries due to Kogi State Civil Servants working in the Judiciary is intact and are sitting in the banks.
The governor who made this declaration in a state wide broadcast said “My preoccupation is how to get that money to innocent staffers without breaching applicable service rules or our Collective Agreement with Labour. I trust the Almighty God that reason will prevail sooner than later.
Speaking on the lawsuit filed against his by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria, (JUSUN), over alleged non payment of their salaries, the Governor however said that he was not surprised by the timing of the case considering the season the state is in, and the politicisation of institutions all over the place.
According to Governor noted that the refusal of the leadership of the Kogi State Judiciary to forward their staff payroll for the Pay Parade with the collusion of JUSUN leaders was well documented.
“I have pleaded unsuccessfully with them for months now to do the needful and spare their innocent members this trauma.
“The Kogi State House of Assembly has also tried to intervene only to be stopped by injunction from the Judiciary curiously obtained while courts claimed to be on strike.
“I have petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria to intervene since November last year, but we are yet to receive any feedback.
“We are therefore happy that the Chief Judge of the Kogi State was also joined to the suit by JUSUN.
“We look forward to being educated on how a pay parade across all branches and cadres of our Civil Service is prejudicial to the independence of the Judicial Arm, but not the Legislative.
