Irregular payment of Salaries in the state coupled with the harsh economic atmosphere owned to the state of the nation’s economy has subjected affected workers to a highly undeserved state of penury.
One would thought the screening would have been long completed and the service back on its toes, though, I do not know what the logistics responsible are but there is urgent need to take proactive steps to save Kogi Workers.
By the screening, Kogi State govt has succeeded in grouping it’s workers into:
1) Full-Salary Payment workers: Workers in this category expect salaries every month and in full as expected in a normal situation
2) Workers of Full Salary for only three months: This category of workers thought they were cleared and enjoyed three months salaries but were reinvited for further interview after which they never smelt the sign of salaries till date, with outstanding salaries of about 3 months.
3) Percent salary for only five months: These workers were kept for several months without salaries and eventually received 5 months salaries of about 51% of their monthly salaries. They now pray for govt to even continue that percentage rather than nothing.
4) Zero Salary payment workers: These set of workers are now the worst set of workers in that they are genuine workers waiting to be confirmed and have not received salaries for about 10 months now. Many of the workers in this category have somewhat turned beggars and have resort to living on kind people from friends and families. In most cases, creditors, friends, relatives and even neighbours find another route at the sight of them since there is every likelihood they are going to lay one complaint or the other.
5) Ghost Workers: These are the set of workers who have given the state govt reasons to conduct the interviews in the first place. Some of them have already being sacked while others await the outcome of the screening to see if their spirits were able to scale through; thanks to the manual methods employed in screening which have paved ways for irregularities (may they never succeed…. Ameen). Workers in this category feel indifferent on whether salaries are paid or not since most of them are either working outside the state, Directors/Heads of state agencies or offices, or in one way the other not a true worker and truly, should not care.
6) Any other relevant category beyond my knowledge
As much as we support the move by the state govt to cleanse the state of its ghost workers, we also urge His Excellency to please understand that many are genuine workers who in most cases, have spent years serving the state to the best of their capacities, they have families to cater for and some other related societal obligations……So, the need to care for their welfare by ensuring immediate payment of their salaries (Percentage or few months) before hunger kills them.
We hope our govt representatives will communicate this to the state govt…… perhaps, it will help hasten whatever is being done.
God bless Kogi Civil Service
God bless Kogi State
God bless Nigeria.
– Engineer Abdulrahaman Otuoze
