Labour: Gov. Bello Has Condemned Kogi Workers to Wheelchair

The organised Labour in Kogi State says the hardship inflicted on workers by Governor Yahaya Bello-led administration has condemned civil service to the wheelchair

They also called on civil servants in the state to be steadfast as their resolute determination to continue the strike action embarked upon 11 days ago had exposed the propaganda of the state government.

In a statement jointly issued by the leadership of the state chapters of the NLC, TUC and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC); Olakunle Faniyi, Kolawole James and Isah Abubakar, Secretaries of NLC, TUC and JPSNC respectively, Labour said there was no going back on the industrial action until government met their demands.

They encouraged workers to brace up for the hard times that lies ahead in the course of the present struggle for their right.

“More hard times lie ahead because this government had vehemently refused to open the door of negotiation with organised labour.

“Therefore, be prepared for worst because in the state broadcast to mark 57th independence anniversary, government has not seen any reason to open dialogue with organised labour over the catalogue of workers’ demands that led to he ongoing strike action.

“For the umpteenth time, we are calling on government whose responsibility it is to initiate or open door of dialogue because it is the only approach to resolving disputes amicably for the state to move forward.

“There is a saying of our elders that ‘It takes only one day for truth to overtake falsehood of over two hundred years’. That is exactly what is playing out in our current struggle.

“All the efforts of the combined team of Government appointees and permanent secretaries have not been able to suppress the truth of the abysmal condition of workers in Kogi State under this administration.

“It has not suppressed the truth that workers in Kogi State are distressed, it has not suppressed the truth that civil service in Kogi State has been condemned to the wheel chair. It has not suppressed the truth that LG administration has been knocked down and put on a stretcher. It has not suppressed the truth that some top civil servants have not been cleared and paid for several months.

“Workers would not say all is well when it is not, neither would they say it is not well when it is well. For now it is not well and we are standing to say with all boldness that it is not,” the statement read.

Labour directed members to continue to stay away from work and be law abiding.

They appealed to government to tow the line of dialogue as a sine-qua-non to resolving the industrial dispute so that the state can make progress.