Governor vows not to pay striking workers in Kogi after visit to Buhari

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi says his administration will implement the ”no work no pay” policy as workers in the state vowed to continue with the industrial action embarked upon since Sept. 22.

The governor, who spoke to State House correspondents after a closed door with President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday, said that majority of the workers had resumed work in their respective beats.

He, however, described those workers still on strike in the state as “political civil servants’’, saying that only workers who resumed work would be paid their salary.

“Those workers that are still on strike are political civil servants; real civil servants are coming to work.

“We are trying our best to keep up with the payment of salaries.

“There is no denying the fact that the economy is biting hard everywhere and you will recall that I met four months’ salary backlog, I cleared it and today we are keeping up to date.

“We owe August and September as we speak. We are up to date in terms of salaries and those that come to work we shall pay them and those that don’t come to work, the ‘no work no pay’ shall surely apply,’’ he said.

The governor pledged to maintain the periodic publishing of the state’s accounts.

He said: “Very soon we are going to publish all the salaries that we have paid to workers since inception in newspapers for people to see it.

“All the noise about Kogi is not paying salaries will be in public domain.’’

Bello enjoined the people of the state to continue to be patient with his administration, noting that, “things are hard generally and we are trying our best and that is why we are transparent in everything that we do’’.

It would be recalled that the organized labour in Kogi, had in September, directed workers in ministries, agencies and parastatal agencies to commence an indefinite strike as from Sept. 22.

The Chairman of the state chapter of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr Ranti Ojo, flanked by his Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), counterpart, Mr Onu Edoka gave the order while briefing newsmen in Lokoja.

The labour leaders explained that the industrial action was informed by the fact that the state government had refused to invite them for negotiation over their demands.

They maintained that the strike was the only lifeline left for the workers to negotiate their survival in the hands of the administration of Gov. Bello.

The Federal Government, on Oct. 11, had resolved to enforce the “No Work No Pay’’ law as part of measures to restore harmony into the public service in the country.