Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja
The Kogi State Government has warned the organised labour that in as much as they have the right to go on strike, they should not disturb industrial peace in the state.
It said it would not allow the strike to breakdown law and order in the state. The Director General, Media and Publicity to the governor, Kingsley Fanwo, while reacting to the strike, said: “It is strange for labour to protest against the deployment of electronic register in the state when we are collaborating with them to stem the rot in the civil service.
“Labour leaders were properly carried along in the decision to deploy the clock-in-clock-out devices in all MDAs. For them to turn around to kick against the success recorded by the deployment is unfortunate.
“On the contributory pension scheme, labour was a part of the committee set up to key workers into the scheme. The purported strike shows that labour leaders were woven around the fingers of some political interests who are bent on holding the state down. “We are monitoring events and getting our feedbacks. We know the strike is unpopular among the workers who are enjoying a new lease of life under the new direction administration of Governor Yahaya Bello.
“When we got our bailout fund and the Paris Club, substantial percentage of it was used to pay wages. Labour itself testified to the fact that we are effectively owing August salary.
“We paid half of July salary because of the dwindling revenue to the state and political office holders were also paid half salary for that month.â€
