House directs kogi screening committee to submit report within 24 hours
The Kogi State review and screening committee has been directed to submit its report to the kogi state house of Assembly within the next twenty four hours.
The house who noted that they are yet to officially receive the report of the screening committee into the hallow chamber came up with this resolution in a motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing igalamela odolu constituency elder Friday Sanni Makama. The motion which the lawmaker titled "save the soul of Kogi workers", said he was constrained to move this motion considering the overwhelming evidences of non-payment of state and local government workers in the state and the consuming suffering that is perpetually leading to high poverty status, disease, and death of their people. He stated clearly before his colleagues that, the screening that started since the inception of the current administration has lingered on without an end. Honourable Makama expressed concern that both the initial failed exercise by the screening committee and the second screening exercise by the re-screening were both incapacitated, hence failed to deliver workers in the state from the current unbearable situation. "the question one is forced to ask, therefore, is whether kogi state and local government workers are being owned salaries'. If no or yes, then we should be able to situate the idea behind the bailout fund squarely and to what purpose. The fact stares into our faces that the people have lost total confidence in the entire screening exercise considering the complexities and complications that deliberately, either by act of omission or commission brought to mess the state up. In this circumstance, this house has a duty to salvage the people and the state from breakdown of law and order, and avoiding more suffering, diseases and deaths". Makama added.
The igalamela odolu lawmaker frowned at the role played by the governors aide concerning the problem at hand and also his chief of staff when he granted an interview to channels television. He lamented that, " the response of the media aides to the governor did more harms than good. The protesting reaction of the state owned tertiary institutions workers, particularly kogi polytechnic Lecturers who on Friday last week took to the street for non payment of their salaries could be justified given their continued suffering and inability to cater for their families. The reaction of chief of staff to the governor, simply put is disturbing, not only to me but to this August assembly that represents the conscience of the people. His reaction at the channels television, describing the protest "as baseless and politically motivated " is simply denying the agitation of the people and salary arrears upon which the bailout fund was accessed". Makama prayed that, considering the prevailing circumstance of several plans of workers at all fold to embark on an indefinite strike, there is need for the house to resolve that the entire screening exercise be suspended and that the state government be enjoined to commence immediate payment of salaries to all civil servants, both at the state and local government level pending the outcome of the ad-hoc committee set up by the house to understudy the whole exercise and report back to the house as urgent as possible.
Seconding the motion, Idris ndakwo representing Lokoja two noted that in his constituency, their are 503 workers and only 208 were cleared while others were categorised under ghost workers . " these workers were given appointment letters I see no reasons why they should be declared as ghost workers" Honourable Ndakwo added. In a three hour deliberation in the floor of the hallow chamber, members took turns to condemn the just concluded screening exercise embarked upon by the current administration.
According to Linus Eneche, the lawmaker observed that most workers in the state spent Christmas in hunger calling the attention of his colleagues on the need to bring back lives to sufferings workers in kogi state. Honourable Eneche averred that "it is not that people has been sent out of job, but the state has been thrown into a mess". He appealed to the house to summon the screening committee to appear before the assembly in a bid to explain the criteria used for the screening exercise.
Not far from the position Linus Eneche Honourable Godwin Osuyi (Ppd) representing ogori magongo said the screening committee has misled the government. He explained that " our health sector is begging for arms. As the chairman house committee on health, I toured most of the health centres and they are 'short of staff and drugs. Where do we fall back to. Is it gbogbonishe.
But the Majority leader Mathew Kolawole maintained that the situation on ground is worrisome" According to him "most of us in this hallow chamber are afraid of to home. Wada lost election because he couldn't pay workers salary. To me the screening exercise embark upon by government is welcome but the idea behind it called for concern". He however called for the amendment of some prayers stating that alot of the people are suffering because of the screening exercise. " In Kabba technical colleges we lost 67 student because they ran to other schools because of lack of teachers." Kolawole added.
Sunday Shigaba (PdP) Bassa while commending the governor for his determination to sanitize the state workforce, called for the probing of the screening committee members adding that the screening committee members are incompetent suggesting that if they are found guilty that they are incompetent, their report should be declared null and void. "
Victor Omofaye (PDP) Ijumu declared the exercise as satanic while Moses Ododo called for the disbandment of the screening exercise.
Hassan Abdullahi representing (Apc) Okura pointed that the exercise failed to establish the relationship between screening and downsizing. " He observed that "in an attempt to downsize hiding the guise of screening workers is uncalled for. Some of the people tagged as ghost workers are due to age declaration, change of names. Some families are very unfortunate to the point that the father, mother and children are affected. How did they want them to live . Did they want them to die. The idea behind this screening exercise is called downsizing and not hunting for ghost workers".
Rabiu Momoh Alfa representing Ankpa said his committee clerk was declared as a ghost worker. He lamented " This development has claimed lives of huge number of people in their various local government."
Standing by all the amended prayers of his colleagues, Deputy speaker Ali Aku said since the screening exercise began last year, it has hampered the progress of the state. He posited that "what has been seen as a result of the screening exercise is a deliberate act to punish the people. it seems the mind of the committee is already made up right from the beginning. I think we have created new ghost workers in kogi state, so we have broken another record." Ruling on the matter, the Speaker Ahmed Imam said motion like this is bound to generate heat. He however directed the joint committee on establishment, judiciary, pension and local government to study the report when submitted and report back in one week.