Kogi Set To Slash Salaries Of Workers Again

There is strong indication that the hope of receiving full salaries by Kogi State workers in May ahead of the Sallah festival may be dashed.

Fillers indicate government is set to pay them percentage salary.

It was reliably gathered on Wednesday that the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Kogi State chapter led by Comrade Onu Edoka met with the government representative and they were informed that government could only pay 60 percent for workers for the month of May.

Government also allegedly disclosed to them that they will have to borrow the money from the bank before they can pay that 60 percent to workers.

Meanwhile workers have rejected the plan for percentage payment.

The workers had basked in the euphoria of the promise to get payment latest Thursday as was confirmed by the Kogi State Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiwaju Idris Asiru.

But coming out of a meeting, between government and labour, the organised labour says it is rejecting the 60% payment for workers, describing it as inhuman.

The state said it had a shortfall as witnessed in the April statutory allocation, a situation which had sent fears in the minds of the workers over another anticipated slash in there salaries.

Last month, workers salaries was in percentages of 80%, 35% and 35% respectively as was paid to workers in the State, Local Government and Teachers last month.

This month, the state recorded a 30% shortfall in the current allocation, sending fears in the mind of workers of another slash going by the deduction and money accrued to the state.

The state net statutory allocation for the month of April is N1,736,231,350.68. The value added tax ( VAT) and exchange gain for the month of April is N938,018,569.93 and N186,683,266.69 respectively.

The state’s gross statutory revenue income for the month of April is N2,860,933,186.62 compared to N4,078,691,569.91 for the month of March as Received in April.

Idris in a statement had said “from the summary, it is obvious that the allocation which accrued to the state is in gross deficit, therefore, the state finances cum responsibility to her citizens will be badly affected.