Workers in Kogi State have appealed to the state Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello to pay their salaries, saying that they are dying of hunger due to the non- payment of salaries by his administration.
The Kogi state Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Onuh Edoka, while speaking on behalf of the state’s workers at the 40th anniversary of NLC in Lokoja, yesterday, told the governor that his policies are mostly anti -workers.
Edoka further stated that the union was aware of the premature retirement and termination of workers’ appointment by the governor.
He said:”Your Excellency, workers sitting here today said I should ask you where is our salary. As your obedient servants, we are dying. As people who have contributed their quotas in Kogi state and have left the service, as pensioners 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 N4.3billion 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.
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.
Reacting, Bello, who was represented by his Deputy, Elder Simon Achuba, said that the ongoing fight against corruption across the country would achieve greater success if the organised labour strengthens itself and works with government to fish out corrupt officials.