By Dare Ojo
There is a new twist to the lingering crises between Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, Kogi state branch and the state government over the ongoing strike in the state.
A source within labour circles confided in me that the last administration in the state included the union in the bailout fund request totaling one hundred million naira as a condition for labour’s support in the re-election of Captain Idris Wada for second time.
According to my source, immediately the present government secured twenty billion naira bailout from the Federal government, a team was raised by the union leaders to liaise with the state government over the agreement they had with the last government in relation to the hundred million.
My sources revealed that all efforts by the union to convince the government were rebuffed by the state authority and this didn’t go down well with the union leaders, hence, the call for strike, even though labour gave salary payments has reason, but that is seeing by some people as a ” smoke screen”
But on the side of government, several attempts were made to make labour see things differently, especially the dwindling revenue and the inadequate bailout funds. The state authorities explained further to the union that, the present government inherited backlogs of salaries wages that is over fifty billion naira, “as such, this present government cannot give such a huge amount of money to the union, beside, it negate the avowed stand of this present government fight against corruption and transparency” said a government official.
It would be recalled that the labour union in the state fought hard for the returned of Wada administration but the election was lost to All Progressives Congress APC which have been having a strained relationship the union since inauguration.
A senior government official who spoke to me simply said ” we don’t have any money to give, let them locate Wada for the money. We didn’t signed any agreement with them, in fact we don’t sign that kind of agreement. We are for the people” he said.
In a swift reaction to the allegation of hundred million bailout demand, a labour leader who agreed to speak to us said we should reach the chairman or the union secretary for such weighty allegations. Several attempt to reach the chairman met a brick wall but text message was sent to his mobile number without reply.
As at the time of writing this reports, over eighty percent of the state workers have received their salaries but labour is yet to call off the strike.
