By Boluwaji Obahopo

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Kogi State, chapter, has dismissed statement credited to the State Government that its Chairman, Onuh Edoka, confirmed that Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration does not owe workers’ salaries.

Recall that the former Director-General of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Progressive Governor’s Forum, PGF, Salihu Lukman had last week accused Governor Yahaya Bello of among others, of owing workers’ salaries.

The state government while responding through the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, said the state was up to date with salary payment, and claimed that Edoka had confirmed that the government was up to date in salary payment.

But in a statement yesterday by its state secretary, Paul Omale, NLC accused the state government of a deliberate attempt to cause disunity within the state workers, saying “The attention of the leadership of the Organised Labour in Kogi has been drawn to a story published in many national dailies of 6th March, 2022 alleging that the NLC chairman, Onuh Edoka confirmed that no percentage salary was paid to Kogi state workers.

The author (Kogi State Government) of the story was clearly on a mission to set the workers of the state against the leadership of the organised Labour. There was no such interview or press statement issued by the NLC chairman, Mr Onuh Edoka to any media house.

We wish to call on the workers of the state to ignore the publication as it was done by mischief makers to cause disaffection between the workforce and the leadership of the organised Labour in the state.

Workers should be rest assured that their welfare at all times remain the topmost priority of the Labour leadership.”

“The organised Labour in the state is amazed on how some reputable media houses could be used to publish such an untrue and misleading story. On the issue of the percentage salaries paid in the month of February, the state government, through the Commissioner for Finance, Asiwaju Ashiru issued press statement to explain what necessitated the payment of February salary in percentages with a promise that the balance will be paid in the preceding month for state civil servants.

The Local Government councils also paid percentages to workers at that level. How can the NLC chairman, Edoka turn around to confirm that no percentage salary was paid when the government had through a press release by the Commissioner for Finance offered explanation for the percentage salaries paid in the state.