Kogi state governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has promised to improve on the existing welfare and security of lives and property of Kogi workers in order to boost their efficiency and productivity.
Governor Ododo stated this on Wednesday while addressing the state’s civil servants during the 2024 workers’ day, which was celebrated in Lokoja.
According to him, the state government had recognised the importance of welfare, reason the workers of the state were enrolled into health insurance scheme to provide them with quality healthcare at affordable cost.
Speaking on the security of lives and property of Kogi citizens, the governor said effort had been put in place to make the state safe and secure through the recent procurement and distribution of vehicles and motorcycles to enhance the performance of vigilante group at the rural areas.
Governor Ododo, who promised to always dialogue with labour leaders to address the needs of the workers, said he had listened carefully to the various demands of the NLC chairman and promised to attend to all the requests one after the other.
“I will always do the needful to improve the living standard of Kogi workers and I am urging the workers to remain peaceful and support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to enable him achieve all his laudable plans for Nigerians,” he stated.
Earlier in his speech, Kogi state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC), Comrade Gabriel Amari, disclosed that the current N30,000 minimum wage fell short of meeting basic needs of workers in the prevailing market conditions of the country.
The labour leader while advocating for the immediate implementation of a Wage Award totaling around N35,000 in Kogi state, said the requested adjustment is not only fair but also urgent to cover the continuous rise in the cost of consumable items.
“Until the long-awaited negotiations for a new minimum wage are concluded and put into effect, the Wage Award would serve as a temporary relief for Workers grappling with the current economic hardships,” he said.
May Day: Ododo promises improve welfare for Kogi workers
