By Hon Alfa Tijani.
The crisis rocking Kogi, the Confluence State, due to the non-payment of workers salaries is yet to abate. And the affected workers in the state are not in their frame of mind at the moment.
Kogi workers are in a very terrible situation now. And from the look of things, they are fed up with Governor Bello. I learnt they are only waiting for Dec 18 to come. If he fails to redeem his pledge, they will make the state ungovernable for him.
The situation of the workers and pensioners in Kogi State at the moment is miserable. The only alternative open to Bello is the bailout by the Federal Government because the state is in a serious financial mess now. I know that he can’t afford to clear all the accumulated salaries and that may go down well with the workers.
Our people are dying, they are hungry and some are even sick with no money to treat themselves. Some workers weekly spoke to expressed their anger, disappointment and dismay while narrating the ugly and frustrating situation.
Also speaking Mr Andrew Joseph,“I am an accountant and I have been in service for more than twenty years. This is the first time in history we are facing this kind of crisis. Kogi workers are hardworking and law people. But the the situation on ground has gone beyond taking it easy with Governor Bello. We are not happy that we down tools but we don’t have a choice. As I speak to you, I have not finished paying my children’s school fees. My parents are old, one of them is a diabetic patient. I take him to the hospital almost every week. But now, I can’t afford again. Even to fuel my car is extremely difficult at the moment. I am only living on the mercies of those I helped. My wife is even fed up, she is also a civil servants. So, it makes this period so tough for us. Now, I concentrate on my farming, maybe if the government refuses to pay, I will have something to fall back on. Bello has turned us to beggars in the eyes of the public”.
Mr Usman Bello has this to say; “I am a pensioner, I retired long ago. I am seventy five years now. Since I retired, my pension has not been this delayed. I have not been paid a kobo. You can imagine what we pensioners are passing through in the hands of Bello. My situation is even more critical because I have been battling with stroke for the past seven years. But it’s worst now because I don’t have money. I can’t even walk again. It’s long ago I come out of my room. My wife and children are tired of my situation. And even those giving me money are also broke. I feel like dying but death has refused to take me. If at all, the government pays the money now, a lot of things have been damaged already. But my belief is that if God says I will survive it,I will. We pensioners are only appealing to Bello to resolve our case first, he shouldn’t allow us to die of hunger. We served the State meritoriously. We deserve to be accorded respect, because he too will get old one day”.
