Organised Labour, Kogi State chapter, has called on Federal Government to as a matter of urgency release the sum of N30.8billion being the balance of N50.8 billion it approved as bailout for workers in the public service in the state.
The state Chairman, Onuh Edoka made the appeal on at NLC secretariat during a press briefing, saying it could be recalled that at the twilight of the administration of Capt Idris Wada, the immediate past governor applied and got approval of N50.8 billion to settle arrears of salaries owed to workers and pensioners at the state and local government levels. But his administration was unable to access any of the funds before his regime elapsed.
It could also be recalled that the present administration under Yahaya Bello has been able to access N20million of the fund, leaving a total of N30.8billion balance.
Edoka also said that the non-release of the fund has put the workers of Kogi State, especially local government workers and primary school teachers at a tight corner where they cannot meet their basic needs.
“As at today, majority of state workers are down with five months’ salary arrears while those who got late clearance from the screening exercise have various months of backlog of arrears.
“The worst case is that of primary school teachers and local government workers who have continued to receive ridiculous percentage of their salaries. As it stands today, primary school teachers and local government workers are being owed salary arrears of well over 30 months, by the time you calculate it, the percentage of their salaries not paid for over the years,” he noted.
He emphasised that life has indeed become unbearable for these categories of workers, saying many could not afford to pay school fees of their children and wards, not to talk of tending to other basic family needs.
“It is in the light of this that the Organised Labour, Kogi State passionately appeals to the Federal Government to release the sum of N30.8 billion being the balance of the approved N50.8billion to enable the state government settle the backlog of arrears owed to the teachers and local government workers.
“The Organised Labour wishes to also appeal to the state government to give necessary priority to salary payment because of the ripple effects it has on the economy of the state generally.”
The labour chairman equally commended the effort of the state for improving the state’s infrastructure like road, water and security across the state, adding that non-payment of salaries can rub off his administration some of the achievements recorded so far.
He maintained that workers in Kogi State are law-abiding and very supportive of the administration both government at the federal, state and local levels, saying federal and state governments should reciprocate the kind gesture by paying the backlog of salary arrears owed to workers so that workers can continue to put in their best in the service of their fatherland.
Victoria Nnakaike, Lokoja
