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Publish names of ghost workers now, Kogi Labour challenges HoS 

By Ibrahim Obansa, Lokoja
28 December 2019   |   4:11 am
The organised Labour in Kogi State has expressed dismay at the information credited to the Kogi State Head of Service (HoS), Mrs. Deborah Ogunmola, that she had uncovered...

The organised Labour in Kogi State has expressed dismay at the information credited to the Kogi State Head of Service (HoS), Mrs. Deborah Ogunmola, that she had uncovered 300 ghost workers allegedly planted by some senior civil servants in the state.

A statement by the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Onuh Edoka, and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Ranti Ojo, described the allegation as unfortunate, given the fact that the state government had conducted staff verification exercise that lasted over three years.

The statement noted that aside the normal verification exercise, the government also organised pay parade for all workers and had their biometric data captured; hence, the unions challenged the HoS to publish the names of the ghost workers, their MDAs and the senior civil servants involved in the criminal activities.

The Labour leaders said the government’s statements since after the screening indicated that the payment system has been made watertight and only the governor could order the inclusion of any name in the payroll and wondered how senior civil servants could gain access to the payroll again.

They said until the identities of those involved are revealed, the organised Labour would view the action of the HoS as a deliberate attempt to rubbish what the state government claimed to have achieved from the screening exercise, thereby, throwing the entire workforce into another round of screening exercise.

The organised Labour also accused the HoS of finding avenues to perpetuate herself in office, having reached her retirement age in service two years ago.

The statement advised the state government not to listen to any advice that could set it against workers, noting that the HoS’ outburst was a coup against workers aimed at denying them their minimum wage, but to hasten the implementation of the new wage as being done in other states.

They commended the government for prompt payment of workers salary and urge the local government administrators to emulate the state government by paying the local government workers and primary school teachers on time and also finding ways to improve on the percentages of the salaries being paid at that level of governance.

The statement reiterated the loyalty of the entire workforce to the state government and expressed the hope that government would reciprocate by giving priorities to workers welfare.

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