The Kogi State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress on Tuesday threatened to shut down the state if the state government refused to rescind its plan to reduce the April salaries of civil servants.

It gave the state government 24 hours’ ultimatum to reverse the decision or face a total shutdown of government activities in the state.

The state’s Vice Chairman of NLC, Alhaji Suleman Abdullahi, spoke to journalists in Lokoja after the State Working Committee meeting of the labour union in Lokoja.

He, however, appealed to workers in the state to remain calm and wait patiently for the expiration of the 24 hours’ ultimatum given to the state government.

According to him, the alleged decision by the state government to pay 100 per cent to officers on grade level 1-6 while those on 7 and above will be paid 60 per cent is unacceptable to the labour union.

He said that if the government decided to go ahead and pay the money into the accounts of the workers, it shall be taken as bonus and not salaries.

Abdullahi said, “There are many avenues which the government can utilise to augment the shortfall especially reduction in the numbers as well as monthly take-home pay of the political appointees who are not contributing significantly to the development of the state.”

But the state government on Tuesday confirmed that it would slash the salary of its workers by 40 per cent owing to dwindling revenue from federal allocation to the state.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Mr. Jacob Edi, in a statement made available to journalists in Lokoja, stated that all the workers on grade level 7 and above, including the state commissioners, special advisers and all other appointed officials were affected, while staff on grade level 1-6 were not affected by the salary slash.

Edi said the move was part of measures to boost infrastructural development.

Edi stated that the state government received N3.7bn last month, while it received N2.5bn for the month of April, despite the fact that its monthly wage bill stands at N3.2 bn.

He said, “With this development, the state government will be able to pay salaries to all workers rather than owing them a backlog of salaries or at worse retrench workers.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman,NLC, Kogi State chapter, Mr. James Odaudu, has said that workers welfare and development are key to increased productivity.

He stated that employers should ensure that their workers were well motivated as well as trained and retrained for efficiency and optimum performance.

In a telephone interview with our correspondent in Ilorin on Tuesday, he also said that motivation, human capital and capacity building of staff would reduce industrial disharmony.

Odaudu claimed that the state government was not owing salaries of workers in the state service.

He stated that allegations that the state governor, Captain Idris Wada, had not paid salaries including the 2013 leave grants and promotion arrears for workers in the state were not true.

APC and their Cohorts must Suffer the wrath of the God of our nation!!

Dino me late and his Partners in crimes should be arrested

GEJ MY HERO,,,BODE GEORGE MY ROLE MODEL