Some primary school teachers and local government workers in Kogi have decried what they termed “neglect and lack of empathy for workers”.
Though the state government has been up to date with the payment of state workers, however, primary school teachers and local government workers still receive percentage salaries.
They said the policy was making life unbearable for them in view of the current economic hardship.
In a separate interviews with Vanguard, some local government workers and primary school teachers who all spoke on condition of anonymity, said since the state government tampered with their salary structure and payment system introducing one deduction after the other, many have had to contend with the new reality pursuant to the emergence of the New Direction led-government of Governor Yahaya Bello.
One of the workers who complained bitterly on phone, said she received N16,000 instead of N45,000 basic salary she ought to be paid as a Level 7 LG worker.“As I speak to you, my son who is studying in KSU (Kogi varsity) called me to send money for him to refill his gas, but I couldn’t help but cry over the phone as a result of this critical situation in the state.
“The last salary I collected was N16,000. I am supposed to be paid N45,000 as a Level 7 worker, but the percentage salary has put me at a disadvantage,” one of the affected workers told Vanguard.
A teacher, who also spoke in confidence, said she had tried to start a business to supplement the dwindling uncertain salary package, but access to capital was a hurdle for her to cross.
“I had wanted to secure a bank loan, where my salary was paid into, but the bank doesn’t give teachers in the state loans.
“It’s that crazy. I have no other choice than to look to God to survive this hard time,” she said.
A retiree, who begged not to be mentioned for security reasons, said his wife is receiving 40% as monthly salary, claiming she has not been paid since August.
“Local government workers and primary school teachers have not received their September salary.
“Even the one they (government) are paying is not full salary (100% payment) but percentage.
“Like my wife, she is receiving 40% and has not been paid for September.
“The people that are mostly affected by this percentage salary are local government workers,” he said.