Idris Ahmed, Lokoja.
The Organised Labour movement in Kogi state has urged the state government to as a matter of necessity recruit more health Personnel and provide adequate health facilities in readiness to combat any outbreak of diseases in the state.
Kogi state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Onuh Edoka, who addressed the Workers in Lokoja on Friday during this year’s Workers day celebration, urged the state government to learn from the inadequacies that faced the country with the outbreak of the Coronavirus.
Edoka who explained that the dreaded Convid-19 has brought a lot of hardship to all cadres of people across the globe, truncated socio-economic activities of nations, therefore advised that governments at all levels to always prepare for the such unexpected calamities as being experienced.
He equally advised workers to adhere strictly to the protocols laid down by the World Health Organisation (WHO), NCDC, and the Federal and state governments, like washing of hands, using face mask, social distancing, avoiding crowded areas, etc.
The labour leader who commended governor Bello for the payment of workers salary as against the past when workers starved for months, however disclosed that the Union has axe to grind with the government over April salaries of the state civil servants and local government workers and teachers.
Comrade Edoka appealed to the Governor to lift the ban on the unionism at the state’s tertiary institutions which has lasted for four years now, pointing out that the embargo has hindered robust industrial relations practices in the higher institutions.
The labour also disclosed that many offices in the ministries and schools are now empty occasioned by deaths and retirements and non replacements into such vacancies. Also most of the pioneer staff at the take off of Kogi state will be retiring in the next four or five years and there is urgent need to replace them with fresh employable persons for quality continuity.
While commending the governor for setting up the committee for the implementation of the new minimum wage, the Union drew the attention of the government to its unnecessary delay even when the duration of its assignment has elapsed and therefore called on the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Folashade Arikye led committee to submits its report to government without any further delay.
The Union said it is not comfortable with some crude policies of government as regards public service rules, where retired civil servants are appointed to occupy positions that ought to be given to serving and deserving civil servants. In some cases a permanent secretary was retired and reappointed to the same office with a new but equivalent tittle. If such acts are allowed to fester could frustrate the civil servants whose aim in the career is to attain the peak.
The celebration was done low keyed in view of the prevalent Coronavirus pandemic.
