After Verification And Bio-data of Civil Servants for Three Years, How Did Ghost Workers Come About?, NLC, TUC, Tell HoS to Publish Names
The organised labour in Kogi state has called on the Head of Service (HoS), Deborah Ogunmola, to make public the said 300 ghost workers allegedly planted by senior civil servants in the state.
While expressing their dismay over stories credited to the HoS that she had uncovered 300 ghost workers allegedly planted by senior civil servants in the state, the State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Onuh Edoka and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Comrade Ranti Ojo, in a statement described the allegation as unfortunate given the fact that the state government had conducted the staff verification exercise that lasted for over three years.
They also noted that aside from the regular verification exercise, the government also organised a pay parade for all workers and had their biometric data captured.
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They, therefore, challenged the HoS to publish the names of the said ghost workers, their MDAs, and the senior civil servants involved in the names planting.
According to the labour leaders, since the screening indicated that the payment system had been made watertight, it is only the governor that could order the inclusion of any names in the payroll.
They also pointed out that until the identities of those involved are revealed, the organised labour would view the action of the HoS as a deliberate attempt to rubbish what the state government achieved from the screening exercise, which they asserted will throw the entire workforce into another round of screening exercise.
While accusing the HoS of looking for avenues to perpetuate herself in office, haven attained retirement age in service, two years back, they cautioned the state government to not listen to any advice that could set it against workers, and aimed at denying them their minimum wage.
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They also called on the state government to hasten action on the implementation of the minimum wage to the workforce as being done in other states and reiterated the loyalty of the entire workforce to the state government.
The unions also expressed the hope that the government would reciprocate it by giving priorities to workers’ welfare.
