Addressing a press conference after the NLC committee on restructuring submitted its report to the leadership of the congress, NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said the congress came to the National Assembly and the Presidential Villa, to lodge complaints about Governor Bello and “his irresponsibility that has reached the highest level.”
Describing the situation in the state as very unfortunate, Wabba said “it should be a matter of concern to all Nigerians.”
The NLC president said: “The very unfortunate situation that has continued to happen in Kogi State is a matter of concern to all Nigerians.
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“Two days ago, we received a very disturbing report of a worker at the level of a director that had to commit suicide because of the fact that he could not take care of his immediate needs.”
Wabba stated that he had seen the correspondence where the Kogi State government was claiming that it didn’t owe the late director 11 months, but eight months.
“Even if it is one month, it is most unfortunate and therefore, this situation will require our attention, we are going to act very decisively and we are going to respond to the issues,” he stated.
In a related development, workers in the state, on Tuesday, threatened to embark on mass action if their present condition persisted.
They noted that the state government had continued to handle their welfare with levity, saying they would no longer accept it.
A statement signed by secretaries of the NLC, Olakunle Faniyi, Trade Union Congress (TUC), James Kolawole and their Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) counterpart, Isa Abubakar, said workers could no longer tolerate the attitude of the government against its members.
The labour said the insensitivity of the government was evident in threats of sack coming after the death of Edward Soje, one of their colleagues, who committed suicide over alleged failure to meet financial challenges.
It stated that many others had been dying silently, due to non-payment of salary, wondering why the government failed to show compassion by commiserating with the labour over the loss of their loved ones, but a sack threat.
In another development, the House of Representatives has mandated its Ad hoc Committee on Bailout Funds to investigate the non-payment of salaries to Kogi workers and to report back within one week.
The House also mandated the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to, within one week, report and explain the utilisation of salary bailout fund given to states.
The directives followed adoption of a motion of urgent national importance moved by Honourable Sunday Karimi (Kogi-PDP), at the plenary presided by the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, on Tuesday.
Moving the motion, Karim said in spite the federal statutory allocation, salary bailout funds and Paris Club refund received by Kogi government, non-payment of state and local government workers’ salaries lingered.
He said a director in the Kogi Civil Service Commission, Mr Edward Soje, committed suicide for not being able to meet his obligations as the breadwinner.
According to Karimi, if nothing is immediately done about the situation in Kogi, more frustrated civil servants would commit suicide.
In her contribution, Honourable Nnkiruka Onyejeocha (Abia-PDP), she said it was sad for parents who worked for Kogi government go several months without pay.
Onyejeocha called on legislators to support the motion and urged the committee to treat the matter with high speed.
Honourable Jimoh Olajide (Lagos-APC) commended the mover of the motion for the courage to speak for the people of Kogi, noting that the function of government is basically to ensure the welfare and security of the people.
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