As civil servants seek urgent relief from economic hardship, rising rents and mounting family responsibilities
An Open Letter to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo
Your Excellency,
I write this passionate appeal on behalf of the hardworking civil servants of Kogi State, whose patience, loyalty, and commitment to the growth and development of the state remain unwavering despite the prevailing economic hardship.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, Your Excellency, we respectfully appeal for your urgent intervention in three critical areas affecting the welfare and livelihood of workers: the payment of outstanding leave allowances, implementation of approved promotions and annual salary increments, and the provision of affordable housing schemes for civil servants, particularly in Lokoja, the state capital.
Your Excellency, by this time last year, a vast majority of Kogi workers and their dependants were jubilating over the payment of the 2024 leave allowances by your administration. That intervention brought tremendous relief to many households and reinforced the confidence of workers in your administration’s workers-friendly disposition.
Today, however, many civil servants are anxiously awaiting the payment of their 2025 leave allowances, while uncertainty continues to surround the settlement of other outstanding entitlements.
The economic realities confronting Nigerian workers are becoming increasingly unbearable. The astronomical cost of food, transportation, accommodation, education, healthcare, and other essential necessities has placed enormous pressure on the meagre earnings of civil servants.
For many families, the annual leave allowance is not merely an additional benefit; it is a lifeline that helps them settle, pressing domestic obligations, pay school fees, offset debts, and meet other family responsibilities.
Your Excellency, the silence surrounding these outstanding payments, has heightened anxiety among workers, many of whom are struggling to keep their families afloat while patiently hoping for government intervention.
We therefore appeal for the immediate release of outstanding leave allowances, the implementation of due promotions, payment of promotion-related financial benefits, and the settlement of accumulated annual salary increments.
Affordable Housing: Another Urgent Welfare Priority
Beyond these financial entitlements, Your Excellency, the acute housing deficit in Lokoja has become another major burden on the state’s workforce.
The cost of renting decent accommodation in the state capital has continued to rise beyond the reach of many civil servants. A significant proportion of workers spend a substantial part of their monthly salaries on rent, leaving little for transportation, feeding, children’s education, and other essential needs.
We passionately appeal to your administration to consider the establishment of low-cost housing estates specifically designed for civil servants, with affordable payment plans, mortgage arrangements, or gradual salary deductions.
Such an initiative would not only address the housing challenges confronting workers but also provide long-term security, improve productivity, and strengthen the bond between government and its workforce.
Your Excellency, we recognise the efforts and achievements of your administration in various sectors of governance. We also acknowledge your reputation as a leader who understands the importance of workers’ welfare.
It is against this background that we make this emotional but sincere appeal.
Our appeal is not borne out of ingratitude, confrontation, or a lack of appreciation. It is a cry for compassion, reassurance, and urgent action from a government in which the workers have continued to repose their trust.
Governor Ododo, the civil servants of Kogi State, are your partners in progress. They are the teachers educating our children, the health workers saving lives, the administrators keeping government running, and the public servants sustaining the machinery of governance.
Their welfare should, therefore, remain a priority.
Your Excellency, please listen to the silent cries of your workers. Let them have renewed hope that their sacrifices, patience, and commitment are not being taken for granted.
We respectfully urge you to direct the relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to urgently address these outstanding entitlements and develop a sustainable framework for affordable housing for civil servants.
A timely intervention will bring relief to thousands of households, restore confidence, and further strengthen the legacy of your administration as one that places human welfare at the centre of governance.
Your Excellency, we are suffering in silence, but our hope remains alive.
Please, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, come to our aid. Let compassion translate into action.
May God continue to grant you the wisdom, strength, and resources to lead Kogi State to greater prosperity.
Long live Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
Long live Kogi State Civil Servants.
Long live Kogi State.
– Mr Bode Olatunde, a Civil Servant in Kogi State Workforce, writes from Lokoja.
