The National Youth Coordinator of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and the Spokesperson of Wada/Aro Campaign Council, Comrade Usman Okai Austin has urged the governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello to pay the State workers their remunerations without delay, adding that fasting period is not a time to slash or withhold workers’ salaries as that is tantamount to wickedness and inhumane.
Okai Austin who made the call yesterday while addressing media men in Abuja, said since there is no case of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Kogi State resulting in stiff lockdown, one wonders why Bello is planning to pay workers half salary, insisting that it is criminal and extortionist. Austin Okai noted that before the 2019 November election, Yahaya Bello promised that percentage payments or owing workers that were prevalent in the entire State would stop but today he is reinventing the same ignoble practice.
The PDP Youth Leader advised labour leaders in the State to immediately seeking national support should the governor perfect his plans and resort to intimidation and harassment. He enjoined them not to be compromised by the govenor who is known throughout the country for owing workers.
Comrade Austin Okai wondered why the governor who is a Muslim should resort to depriving people their entitlements in a sacred month of Moslem fasting that encourages ZAKAT. He challenged Governor Bello to declare Kogi workers’ wage bill and stop claiming allocation shortfall as reason for non or part payment. It is worthy of note that other State governments paying complete and regular salaries receive from the same national allocation.
The Kogi State governor who spent months in a protracted workers’ screening exercise upon assuming office in 2016, is expected to have stabilized the State workforce and wage bill by now to ease regular salary payments.
Kogi stands as a State in the country with the highest number of mineral resources with the capacity to pay her workers regularly from Internally Generated Revenues. However, these gold-mine opportunities in the State are not effectively taped into by the government of Alhaji Yahaya Bello.