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It has been in the public discuss for a while now the screening exercise embarked upon by the Kogi State Government. The exercise was widely welcomed by everybody across board as it was seen as a means of returning sanity to the civil service in Kogi State.
Government overtime has embarked on screening exercises that has ended up with alot of trivialization and politicization. It wasn’t as if the initial plans of previous government weren’t for genuine purposes but, along the line it gets marred and the situation gets worst and yet ‘Ghost Workers Weeding” and “Retrenchment” takes place. One wonders what happened?
The introduction of screening exercise by the government of Yahaya Bello of the APC was a welcome development because, it came at a time when government’s resources were running low by the day; wage bill became too much a burden and the state was drowning on workforce population and worker’s salaries were paid on percentage system. The State welcomed the screening exercise also because, the APC and Yahaya Bello was perceived to be running a government of change and is also politically willed to do the right thing! It was perceived to be government of transparency. It is on this note that the state workers, their dependant and organise labour welcomed the screening exercise billed to weed out illegitimate workers from the workforce.
For over 3 months the screening exercise was carried out and has been done with close to a month now and everybody has been awaiting the report of the screening committee. The report was to determine the fate of the state workers as to if they will smile home again at the end of every month. The report is to tell what has been happening underground that has clogged the wheel of the state for many years; that has putted away joy from the faces of legitimate workers of the state; to tell the fate of those that have been conducting those shady practices that has grounded the State overtime. The report is basically the most expected thing in the whole of Kogi State at the moment.
However, about 1 month of signaling the end of the screening exercise, the report is yet to get out from the screening committee and workers are yet to be paid their salaries, especially local government worker for about 2 months. This situation couple with the rumoured report of retrenching well over half of the local government staffs across the 21 LGAs of the state sparked protests across the 21 LGA of the state.
In my understanding of governance, especially qualitative, accountable and transparent one as claimed by the APC and Gov Yahaya Bello’s, reports are not released in batches anywhere in the world, especially not that of an exercise that concerns the heart of the state. Government is best run effectively if the people don’t perceive secrecy in the process of governance. Government must make public it’s policies and plans before implementations. If this is not done, the people will preempt the government and act as understood.
It is on this note I will advice the government on the following step, just as it is done in saner climes;
1. Publish the screening report.
2. Categorise those to be weeded out in;
3. No of ghosts per MDA.
4. No of ghost schools and staff numbers.
5. No with forged certificates.
6. No of those with double/triple employment.
7. Any other reason for disengagement.
Ensure any disengaged staff is served a letter specifying reason for disengagement.
This done, govt should dare any real/imagined staff disengaged to go to court if dissatisfied. Since they stand to be convicted, non will contemplate the legal option.
As for those civil servants responsible for the ghost worker syndrome, they must be prosecuted, jailed on conviction and assets of all such fraudulent acquisition forfeited to government.
If this is done we will all Peacefully enjoin the Kogi of our dreams.
– Umar Dan’Assabe Muhammed
Social Commentator, A Political Scientist & Activist.
Twitter: @Dan_Assabe
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