Kogi Govt Sacks State NLC Chairman,Says He's A "Ghost Worker"

The Kogi State Government has discovered that the state chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Onuh Edoka is a “ghost worker” and has therefore relieved him of his post.

However, a furious Edoka was surprised by his inclusion among the 9000 names of illegal workers released by the screening exercise spearheaded by Paul Okuntimo, a retired general, who is known for his role in the incarceration of the late activist, Saro Wiwa.



According to Edoka, he Said his employment span from 1981 where he currently serves as a Disease and Surveillance Officer in the state.

Speaking with Premium Times, Udoka said: “The General’s committee claims that I submitted the wrong bank statements. But they only asked for my statement of accounts for the past two years which I submitted,”

Speaking further on the next line of action by his men,Udoka said:
“The government just got a bailout based on the current staff strength. Suddenly they want to retrench workers to divert the funds even though some of these workers have not been paid for over 23 months,”

“The NLC is saying that these people are not ghost workers. They are living beings and we are ready to bring them out on the streets of Lokoja so that the world can see that they are not ghosts but real workers of Kogi state,” Mr Eboka said.

On the government’s part, it stated that it carried out a comprehensive screening exercise and it identified persons who gained employment or obtained promotions fraudulently.

A media aide to Governor Yayaha Bello, Mr.Gbenga Olorunpomi, also disclosed that failure to furnish the committee with required information led to thier botched screening.

“For example, many of them refused to supply their BVNs [Bank Verification Numbers]. This automatically brings up the question of why they don’t have BVNs if they don’t have anything to hide,” he said, adding that the current list is merely a preliminary list and that the said workers would be given the opportunity to rectify any deficiency.
“The governor has assured the people that no legitimate worker in Kogi state will be sacked. But there are some people who got into the system fraudulently. For those people, we have no apologies,” Mr. Olorunpomi said.

A new list, which will clarify the reasons for the screening failure, is expected to be released within the week.

via Premium Times