Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has said that his administration would do its best to make the state workers happy in the aspect of salary payments amidst competing demands on the income of the state per time.
It comes days after the government threatened to withhold salaries for striking workers.
In his Independence Day Broadcast, Bello said government would continue to apply dialogue where it can make a difference in any industrial dispute.
He spoke in support of moves to automate human resources by installing attendance managers, which labour has kicked against.
“We do not understand what could possibly be wrong with putting into the hands of individual workers the tools to determine their own rating (and therefore progress) on the job, even after we have left office,” said Bello.
“Our aim with the clock-in, clock-out devices which Labour Leaders are rejecting is to empower each worker to leave a digital footprint which authenticates his or her participation during the typical work day.
“If this aim is defeated, all of the aspirations of genuine and conscientious workers to be assessed based on actual performance will remain a mirage, like in the past.
“In similar vein, prompt payment of Gratuities and Pensions is only possible within the ambits of a Contributory Pension Scheme. Like the automation of the workforce, a Contributory Pension Scheme for the Kogi State workforce is inevitable reform,” he said
Bello said that his administration in the past 20 months had given attention to aspects of Education, Health, Infrastructure/Utilities, Job Creation/ Youth Empowerment as well as Public Service and Pension Reforms, which he noted constitute the five thematic areas in the administration’s “New Direction Blueprint”.
The Governor, who lamented that the nation at 57 has had “countless missed opportunities” that would have been harnessed for greater progress, however expressed delight with the unity of the nation despite the diversities.
“In my opinion, and I think most Nigerians will agree with me, that even though we have not harnessed our gains after amalgamation, the present Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR is making efforts to optimize our potentials as a Nation.
“This is evident in a more secured Nigeria after years of terrorism threat, we are consciously diversifying our economy to Agriculture and Mining, the very vulnerable are now being focused on using various current programmes and policies – e.g Condition Cash Transfer at National level, N-power and Market Money, Home Grown School Feeding Programme etc,” he said.
On its part, he said his administration has come up with initiatives such as the GYB Food Security Project, Youth and Artisan Empowerment Project, the GYB water for life Grassroot Project and GYB Model Primary and Unity School to foster development in the state.
Credit: Daily Trust
