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Kogi State chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Onuh Edoka, has faulted reports by the State Staff Verification Committee that he was among those screened out as ‘ghost workers.’
Edoka, who addressed newsmen in Lokoja, said the claim by the retired General Paul Okutimo-led verification committee that he (Edoka) was screened out because he was operating a micro-finance bank was a “lame excuse” which does not hold water.
“I have worked in Olamaboro local government council since 1989 and I have been drawing my salaries from the Unyogba Micro-Finance Bank which is the only bank operating in the council. No government has ever told us never to use micro- finance bank,” he said.
The NLC chairman said most local government workers do not have access to conventional banks and as such use micro- finance and community banks to draw their salaries, wondering why the verification committee would screen out workers on the grounds of operating such banks which have the due approval of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Edoka explained that besides the micro finance-bank, he also has a Unity Bank account number of which he presented its BVN as well as two years’ statement of account of the micro finance bank in addition to other stipulated documents to the committee as demanded.
While displaying the documents to journalists, Edoka said the committee was only bent on downsizing genuine workers, adding that labour would resist any move to throw out innocent workers out of jobs.
He said workers who chose to operate conventional banks closer to them in neighbouring states were also tagged as “ghost workers” by the committee, which accused them of drawing salaries outside the state.
He called on the CBN and the Independent Corrupt practices and other related offences Commission, (ICPC), to closely monitor the disbursement of the bailout funds released to state for settlement of arrears of workers’ salaries.
Credit: Daily Trust/Itodo Daniel Sule
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