Strike paralyses activities in Kogi

Activities at government establishments were paralysed in Kogi State, on Monday, as workers commenced the three-day warning strike that was declared over their welfare.

Many of the offices at the state secretariat, local government areas offices, public schools and other public institutions were under lock and key in compliance with the strike declared by the organised labour unions in the state.

Many of the public school pupils and students that went to their various schools for academic activities were turned back as their teachers also complied with the warning strike.

The warning strike that started on Monday is expected to end tomorrow, when the workers are expected back at their various desks.

The three unions in the state, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), had directed the workers to embark on the warning strike over the fate of their members following the ongoing staff verification exercise.

The chairman of the NLC, Onuh Edoka, while addressing newsmen over the hardship being faced by their members due to the screening exercise, said the warning strike was to make government comply with the March 31 deadline date set for the screening.

Speaking over the compliance with the strike, Edoka lauded the workers of the state for their total adherence to the warning strike, saying the development showed that the workers were more united than ever.

According to him, the workers’ action was a pointer to government that the deadline date must be adhered to, adding that failure might make the unions embark on total strike that would completely paralyse government’s activities across the state.

It would be recalled that the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, had during his meeting with the leadership of the unions last week promised that verything about screening in the state would end by March 31.

He said his administration was determined to clear the rot in the civil service, pledging that every cleared worker would be paid their salaries by the deadline date.

He lamented that despite the existence of anomalies in the civil service that had hindered the system from serving the people as spelt out by the constitution, successive administration could not have the courage to address the problems.

According to him “The damage of over twenty five years cannot be tackled within one year. If my predecessors summon courage to check the excesses in the civil service by now it couldn’t have been so cumbersome, but we will not be deterred by the existing challenges and act of sabotage, we are already in it and we shall follow it to logical conclusion”.