By Ishaq Dan-Imam, Lokoja
The Kogi State Wing of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has commended the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State in North Central Nigeria, for the regular payment of workers’ Salaries in the state.
Addressing workers in the state to mark this year’s international workers’ Day celebration, Kogi State Chairman of NLC, Comrade Gabriel Amari, says though workers in the state live with a poor standard of living among their peers in Nigeria, Governor Bello’s administration has consistently ensured regular payment of workers’ salaries in the face of persistent workers’ demand for improvement in wages and allowances of both public and private sector workers in the state.
Amari, says the labour union in the state prefers the regular payment of the current salary scale to workers in the state to jumbo salaries that are not being paid regularly as experienced in some other states of Nigeria.
Amari adds, “Statistics by the national bureau of Statistics (NBS) show that workers in Kogi State are the most economically distressed workers in Nigeria because of the high cost of living in the state, with the local government (County) workers and primary school teachers who earn percentage salaries over a decade, describing the non-full payment of salaries of local government workers as ‘pathetic and lamentable’ as he urges the state government to ensure full salary payment to the County workers in Kogi State to reduce economic pressure to their families.
“The payment of percentage salaries to the local government workers in the state gives rise to rural-urban migration in the state as the situation inhibits economic development of the rural areas in the state.
“Much as the organized Labour in state commends Governor Yahaya Bello on his successes in the area of security, we assert that the protection of workers’ social and economic rights in line with the theme of this year’s ‘Workers’Day’ celebration is the panacea for peace and sustainable security of our State.
“Inspite of our challenges, the state NLC urges workers to show commitment to service delivery towards improved governance in the state while we call on the state government to review the establishment law of Kogi State primary health care development agency in order to bring the primary health care workers in the state under one roof for ‘efficiency and fairness.’
The state NLC also commends Governor Yahaya Bello for the Government’s donation to the completion of the Kogi State Labour House Project among several other government assistance to the Labour Congress.
“As we move closer to our Governorship election in November, Kogi State NLC urges workers in the state to vote for Candidates that will bring good governance and a friendly business environment to the state in the best interest of workers in Kogi State.
Kogi State Head of Civil Service, Mrs. Hannah Odiyo, spoke on the need for the state government to prioritize an Owner-Occupier housing scheme for the Civil Servants in the state adding that lack of ‘affordable accommodation’ is a major economic stress to the civil servants as she calls on Governor Yahaya Bello to build housing estates for public sector workers in the state.
Secretary to Kogi State Government, Dr. Folashade Ayoade, says in spite of the over-bloated workforce in the state civil service, the government has continued to accord priority to workers’ welfare even in the face of scarcity of resources, and thanked the workers and NLC in the state for friendly and peaceful Government-Labour relations, as she promised continued collaboration with the labour union in the state to improve workers’ standard of living.
Highpoint of the May Day celebration is the call for a new minimum wage for local government workers and the harmonization of pensions in the state.
There were match passes and competitions by various contingents of the affiliate trade unions that participated in the International Workers’ Day celebration in Kogi State.
