Protest rocks Lokoja over screening results

PROTEST on Monday rocked Lokoja, the Kogi State capital following the release of the results of the screening exercise embarked upon by the state government for its workers.

Just as the workers of the Lokoja local government area that were screened out expressed anger and protested the outcome, palpable fear and anxiety enveloped the other 20 local government areas as they awaited the pasting of the list of the cleared workers.

This is coming just as the workers of the state owned higher institutions adhered to the directive by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) to commence a five-day warning strike over the non payment of salary to some of its members.

Trouble started at the Lokoja local government area secretariat in the morning when some staff members that resumed for duty discovered that the list of those that were successful and unsuccessful at the screening had been pasted on the wall of one of the offices.

According to the workers, over 300 of them had been screened out and referred to as ghost workers by the state government.

The development drew the attention of many of the affected workers to the secretariat following, which they started protesting and chanting various anti government songs.

The workers locked up the secretariat premises and made bonfire on the IBB way that passed through the front of the council, making human and vehicular movement impossible in the area.

Many travellers were caught in the web of the protest since the road is a major one being plied by people going to the eastern part from the northern part of the country.

Many petrol tankers that could not make a detour or take another routes as other smaller vehicles had to wait for several hours because of the fire from the bonfire located at strategic places in the area.

However, the presence of the combined team of the men of the regular police, the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), the Department of State Security (DSS) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) did not allow the protest to go violent.

Scores of their stern looking men and many vehicles were stationed around the venue of the protest to ensure security of lives and properties.

Despite the heavy security presence, the protesters still continued to vent their anger, with some of them claiming to have worked for over 20 years and still being declared ghost workers.

One of the protesters claimed that his name appeared on the first list released after the screening, but was surprised to find out that his name has been removed from and not on either of the lists.

Also, many of the local government workers were said to have besieged their respective council secretariats to ascertain their names on the list with tension filling some of the councils as the lists were still being kept secret.

The local government headquarters in Okene, Kabba, Ajaokuta, Isanlu, Koton-Karfi, among others were flooded by workers who wanted to know their fate following the staff screening ordered by Governor Yahaya Bello about nine months ago.

In the same vein, the academic and non academic activities were paralysed in the state owned higher institutions following the warning strike declared by the unions of the schools over the outcome of the screening exercise.