The Kogi State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress yesterday said the non-payment of salaries had forced workers in the state into begging.
Its chairman, Onuh Edoka who stated this during the union’s 7th quadrennial delegates conference in Lokoja, said workers were being owed between seven to 30 months salary arrears.
He appealed to the state government to urgently reverse the trend, saying the situation had made it impossible for workers to meet their obligations to their dependants.
He said workers were being owed their leave bonuses; while promotions done by the government only existed on papers.
Edoka urged the Federal Government to release the balance of N30.8bn bailout fund to enable the state government to pay the salary arrears.
In his response, Governor Yahaya Bello said the balance of the bailout fund, when released, would be used for payment of salaries only.
Bello, represented by his Chief of Staff, Edward Onoja, said the screening exercise had eliminated unintended beneficiaries from the state’s payroll of the state.
