Kogi State workers have expressed their happiness that Governor Idris Wada was not re-elected for another tenure which according to them would have brought about more months of unpaid salaries and allowances.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) chairman Comrade Onu Edoka, who spoke at a joint press conference held alongside its affiliate unions in Lokoja recently, disclosed that the governor’s body language has shown that he is not willing to pay workers before handing over to the incoming government.
He pointed out that the workers were not responsible for the Governor’s woeful outing at the governorship polls, adding they had always tried to understand with the predicament of the shortfall in revenue allocation to the state.
Edoka noted that despite their effort at the outset of the new leadership of NLC to play along with many of the shortcomings of the governor towards workers, they are now being paid back with severe hunger and unpaid salaries for upward of four months. He expressed shock over the unwillingness of the state Governor, Idris Wada to pay the backlog of salaries owed workers in the state.
“We met with him and agreed that at least one month out of the three months wages owed be paid before last year’s Christmas celebration. But to our chagrin, the governor is now singing a new tune.”
He lamented that despite the federal allocations and internally generated revenues (IGRs) that have been accruing to the state, core state workers are still being owed three months salaries, while local government workers and primary school teachers are being owed over 20 months’ salaries.
Edoka appealed to traditional rulers, spirited personalities and organisations in the state to help to intervene on the matter before it gets out of control.