We’re dying, pay our salaries, Kogi workers tell gov

Workers in Kogi State have asked Governor Yahaya Bello to
disclose where their salaries are.

Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in the state, Onu Edoka,
spoke on behalf of the workers on Friday at an event to mark the
40th anniversary of the union in the country.

Workers in Kogi were paid 60 per cent of five months’ salary
arrears last December and had yet to be paid January salaries.

Edoka, in a keynote address said, “Your Excellency, workers said
I should ask you where our salaries are. As obedient servants, we
are dying. As people who have contributed their quota in the
development of the state and have left service, we are dying.

“To this end, we wish to compassionately appeal to you. 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 N4.3bn while local governments got N3.8bn.
But up until this moment, no salary has been paid in Kogi. Let our
own not drop into River Niger again (sic).”

Edoka equally 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 the
state.

He said, “You will agree with me that appointment in this
government has been upside down in the sense that junior workers
are placed above seniors.

“Medical doctors in Kogi have been on strike for over one month.
Mothers, children are dying at home. For this obvious fact, we
appeal to the state government to call our doctors to a meeting and
bring this mater to an end.

“Why the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress
have not joined the strike is because we have come to the
realisation that strike may not be the solution to our problems any
more. It is all about the person who is the chief executive and his
state of mind on the development and welfare of workers.

“The proscription of unions in Kogi is completely detrimental to
the progress of democracy, unacceptable to the Nigeria Labour
Congress and completely illegal, and we shall not stand by it.

“We will speak for the voiceless and the same voice will still
speak again. We shall resist it with the last drop of our blood to
see that we will not be tamed in any form or turned beggars in our
state.”

In his response, Bello said that the ongoing fight against
corruption across the country would achieve greater success if
organised labour strengthened itself and worked with the government
to fish out corrupt officials.

Bello urged the NLC to fight for the welfare of Nigerian workers
and play the role of whistle-blower to assist government in
bringing corrupt officials to justice.

The governor, who was represented at the occasion by his deputy,
Simon Achuba, congratulated labour on its 40th anniversary and
enjoined its leadership to always stand for what is good for
workers and the country.

Workers in Kogi State have asked Governor Yahaya Bello to
disclose where their salaries are.

Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in the state, Onu Edoka,
spoke on behalf of the workers on Friday at an event to mark the
40th anniversary of the union in the country.

Workers in Kogi were paid 60 per cent of five months’ salary
arrears last December and had yet to be paid January salaries.

Edoka, in a keynote address said, “Your Excellency, workers said
I should ask you where our salaries are. As obedient servants, we
are dying. As people who have contributed their quota in the
development of the state and have left service, we are dying.

“To this end, we wish to compassionately appeal to you. 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 N4.3bn while local governments got N3.8bn.
But up until this moment, no salary has been paid in Kogi. Let our
own not drop into River Niger again (sic).”

Edoka equally 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 the
state.

He said, “You will agree with me that appointment in this
government has been upside down in the sense that junior workers
are placed above seniors.

“Medical doctors in Kogi have been on strike for over one month.
Mothers, children are dying at home. For this obvious fact, we
appeal to the state government to call our doctors to a meeting and
bring this mater to an end.

“Why the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress
have not joined the strike is because we have come to the
realisation that strike may not be the solution to our problems any
more. It is all about the person who is the chief executive and his
state of mind on the development and welfare of workers.

“The proscription of unions in Kogi is completely detrimental to
the progress of democracy, unacceptable to the Nigeria Labour
Congress and completely illegal, and we shall not stand by it.

“We will speak for the voiceless and the same voice will still
speak again. We shall resist it with the last drop of our blood to
see that we will not be tamed in any form or turned beggars in our
state.”

In his response, Bello said that the ongoing fight against
corruption across the country would achieve greater success if
organised labour strengthened itself and worked with the government
to fish out corrupt officials.

Bello urged the NLC to fight for the welfare of Nigerian workers
and play the role of whistle-blower to assist government in
bringing corrupt officials to justice.

The governor, who was represented at the occasion by his deputy,
Simon Achuba, congratulated labour on its 40th anniversary and
enjoined its leadership to always stand for what is good for
workers and the country.