Ibrahim Oyewale
The organised Labour in Kogi State has urged the workers of the state to ignore the publication that the state Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Onuh Edoka, has confirmed the payment of N30,000 minimum wage in the state contrary to what transpired, as it was done by mischief makers to cause disaffection between the workforce and the leadership of the organised Labour in the state.
The organised labour was reacting to the purported claim that the state government had recently commenced the payment of N30,000 national minimum wage as approved by the state Governor, Yahaya Bello.
This was contained in a statement signed by the state NLC Secretary, Paul Omale, a copy of which was made available to journalists in Lokoja, the state capital, yesterday, stating that contrary to the author of the claim, the government has not fulfilled its promise to the workers, rather, it was a shock when the workers received alert of 70 per cent payment.
The statement read: “The attention of the leadership of the organised labour in Kogi State has been drawn to a story published in many national dailies of March 6, 2022, alleging that the state NLC Chairman, Onuh Edoka, confirmed that no percentage salary was paid to Kogi State workers.
The labour union also lamented that author of the story was clearly on a mission to set the workers of the state against the leadership of the organised labour.
It further stated that there was no such interview or press statement issued by Edoka to any media house.
“The organised labour in the state is amazed at how some reputable media houses could be used to published such a misleading story.
“On the issue of the percentage salaries paid in the month of February, the state government, through the Commissioner for Finance, Asiwaju Ashiru, issued a statement to explain what necessitated the payment of February salary in percentages with a promise that the balance will be paid in the preceding month for state civil servants.
“The local government councils also paid percentages to workers at that level.
“How can the NLC Chairman, Edoka, turn around to confirm that no percentage salary was paid when the government had through a statement issued by the Commissioner for Finance offering explanation for the percentage salaries paid in the state?
“We wish to call on the workers of the state to ignore the publication as it was done by mischief makers to cause disaffection between the workforce and the leadership of the organised Labour in the state.”
