Civil servants in Kogi State have appealed to Governor Yahaya Bello for a three months repayment moratorium to state workers who are servicing credit facilities with the state government loan guaranteed cooperative and thrift societies.
This appeal is coming on the heels of the three months repayment moratorium for all Tradersmoni, Marketmoni and Farmersmoni facility by the Federal Government.
President Muhammed Buhari, in a national broadcast, has rolled out some measures to cushion the effects of Covid- 19 pandemic which include amongst others extending similar moratorium to Federal Government funded loans issued by some banks.
Speaking to journalists in Lokoja, some of the concerned civil servants commended Governor Bello for living up to expectations of state workers by making their welfare a priority since assumption in office for a second -term through prompt payment of salary.
One of the workers who spoke to this reporter said the giving of repayment moratorium to civil servants who are are on loan with state guaranteed cooperative societies such as Albarkar, HoS and MDAs cooperative societies will go along way to help them in this period of Covid- 19 sit-at-home.
According to him, some civil servant’s net pay after deductions is as meagre as ten thousand naira, pointing out since the beginning of the partial close down of activities in the state, prices of food items have gone beyond the reach of average civil servants.
In his own comment, a civil servant who wished to be called Salami, stated that the gesture is like postponing the evil day but it would afford them the opportunity to prepare for the evil at a later day when the pandemic is over.
They all agreed that the state governor has not reneged in his promise to make the the welfare of state workers its priority and pleaded to him to grant the repayment moratorium during this period.
