The feelers in messages and calls after my view on the screening exercise was posted, revealed a more sordid situation than I thought and this has necessitated this follow up.
It is vital to point out that the objectives of the exercise is noble in view of the rot in the system before the present administration. From the onset of the exercise, avoidable mistakes were made because some of those saddle with the task of ridding the system of ‘ghost’ and Diaspora workers were the creators and operators of the malaise; they comfortably and conveniently sabotaged the exercise from within.
Unfortunately, every extension of the screening exercise is an elongation of the pain and misery of many and their dependants.
Being privileged to be part of the adhoc team that reviewed the operations of the screening committee, I witnessed first hand s genuine attempt to sanitize a system steeped in rot. But the present situation where pensioners who reasonably ought to be the first to be screened in view of their vulnerability are still waiting to be paid.
Across the state, there is so much pain and the issue of unpaid salaries is turning the helplessness of many to hopelessness. Nothing could be worse than an expectation without time frame.
The explanation of government lately is nothing but ambiguous pleonasm and a hungry person needs to be fed not sermons.
I know this administration has what it takes to bring the suffering of genuine/cleared workers to an end; this should be done with an urgent payment of the what is due pensioners and workers.
Nothing no matter in what garb can ever rationalize the pitiable condition of pensioners in the state.
In other climes, workers and pensioners don’t have to plead to be paid but this is Nigeria where rights have assumed privilege status.
Kogi state government should come clean and tell the workers/pensioners when they will be paid what is their due because it will be callousness unimaginable if suffering of workers is permitted to be a continuous exercise.
Fathers can’t pay school fees of children, they can provide the basis necessities for their family and we have a growing army of beggars; this ought not be so. I want to believe the bailout balance is still intact and it should be dispensed appropriately. All the big grammar should stop, all rationalization of an arrangement that has brought untold hardship to many must cease and those entitled to be paid settled.
Except workers and pensioners are paid and urgently too, the screening exercise will be nothing but a deliberate and calculated callousness.
– Aiyenigba Olalekan
