From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Despite the Eid El Fitri Celebration at the corner, the organised labour has rejected the proposed 60 per cent pay for Kogi state workers and Pensioners.
The rejection which came after the meeting between government and labour that ended in deadlock, the organised labour said it is rejecting the 60 percent payment for workers describing it as inhuman.
The workers had been learning enthusiastically on the promise to get payment latest Thursday this Week as was confirmed by the Kogi State Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiwaju Idris Asiru.
The state government said it had a shortfall as witnessed in the April statutory allocation, a situation which had sent fears in the minds of the workers over another anticipated slash in their salaries.
Last month state workers’ salaries and pensions was 80%, while local government workers and teachers got 35 per cent each respectively.
This month, the state recorded a 30% shortfall in the current allocation, sending fears in the mind of workers of another slash in salaries despite the Federal government’s order stopping CBN from loans deduction from states.
The Commissioner for Finance, Asiwaju Idris Asiru had in a statement announced what was accrued to the state at the weekend, said from the summary, it is obvious that the allocation accrued to the state is in gross deficit, therefore, the state finances cum responsibility to her citizens will be badly affected.
He however assured that as a responsible and responsive government, services will still be rendered within the circumstances at hand.
