The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kogi State has appealed to the governor Yahaya Bello-led government to settle issues of unpaid salaries and pensions owed civil servants and pensioners in the state to make life better for them.
State Chairman of NLC, Comrade Onuh Edoka, who made the appeal on Friday in Lokoja on the occasion of the 40th anniversary celebration of the NLC, noted that workers in the have had it ‘rough and tough’ under the administration of Bello.
He said many workers and pensioners have died of hunger and treatable ailments due to the non-payments of their salaries and pensions by the government to enable them meet their basic feeding and health needs.
"We are aware that allocation came to Kogi State last month and by the statement of the commissioner for finance, what came as allocation to the State was put at N4.3billion and what came to Local Government was put at N3.8billion. To this end, up till this moment, no salary has been paid in kogi state.
"We are already aware that as at yesterday (Thursday), FAAC meeting has already been held and over N638billion have been shared and I know Kogi State government will have a share in it. Let our own not drop into river Niger again."
The State NLC chairman used the forum to speak on the alleged premature retirement of some workers, proscription of labour unions and the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by medical doctors in Kogi State.
Edoka, who described most of the policies of the present administration as anti-workers, urged the government to put an end to percentage payment of salaries and pensions to workers and pensioners in the state.
"You will agree with me well that appointments in this government has been done upside down; junior workers are placed before their senior and the senior working under their junior.
"I will make it clearer that this government for the first time in the history of the state introduced what they called percentage salaries to workers and pensioners.
"If civil service have been kept in this form before the coming of this administration, the civil service would have been in disarray,” He said.
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