Like most of Nigeria's other states, Kogi is suffering from a paucity of funds due to reduced federal allocation as a result of low global oil prices. As a result it owes workers salary arrears and due to the weakness of the state's economy, it cannot generate revenue internally, leaving in a hopeless situation.
According to the NLC, Governor Bello is now planning to balance his books with mass redundancies and sackings. This claim was contained in the NLC's Bulletin Number 13, issued by the Joint Negotiation Council of Workers in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.
The bulletin jointly signed by the Kogi State NLC chairman Onu Edoka, and the Trade Union Congress chairman, Ojo Matthew, directed workers to continue to stay at home as the state government had resorted to blackmail union leaders, instead of making efforts to meet workers’ legitimate demands. It said: “The government wants to hide under the screening documents so that it can use our signatures for its illicit intention to lay off over 60% of the workforce across the state.
Like in many other states across the country, Kogi workers are on strike protesting their unpaid salary arrears. Most governors have made it clear that the only way they can clear the backlog is if the federal government offers them a bailout package.
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