₦airaland Forum

The Organised labour in Kogi State has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to direct humanitarian agencies of the government to send relief materials to the dying workers of the state.

The secretaries of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Olakunle Faniyi; Trade Union Congress (TUC); Comrade Kolawole James and their Joint Public Services Negotiating Council (JPSNC) counterpart, Comrade Isah Abubakar, made the appeal in a statement in Lokoja.

The Labour leaders said the agony the workers of Kogi state are passing through are not in any way less than the experiences of victims of natural disasters. They noted that a situation where workers cannot afford even one meal a day and pay school fees of their children is already a humanitarian issue.

“As it stands today in Kogi State, over thirty percent (>30% of the workforce are being owed Twenty One months salaries, twenty percent (20% have unpaid salaries between eleven and eighteen months while about forty percent (40% took their salaries up till June this year.

These are the categories of workers Kogi State Government is forcing to embrace the ‘clock-in, clock-out policy’ of the government. “The Organized Labour therefore call on the Government to treat Kogi workers with dignity because even in the era of slave trade, slaves were not forced to work on empty stomach,” the statement reads.

They noted that it is most unfortunate that the State Government, instead of apologizing to the workers and their families over the untold hardship that they had been subjected to, the Government takes delight in buying pages of newspapers to roll out falsehood on how workers have been paid their salaries up till July.

They advised the State Government to accept the reality on ground and stop the current intimidation and coercion tactics they usually employ when it comes to workers’ demands for their rights. They also called on well meaning Kogites and other Nigerians not to sit on the fence on the issues affecting the lives of millions of indigenes of the state.

Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye has declared the process to recall him is dead as the petition has expired.

In a press conference, Melaye said he will not no longer be in a haste to take any further step on the matter so as not to be seen to have aided any party, especially the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in the continued blatant breach of the provisions of the Constitution.

He stated that the 90 days period, as provided for in the Constitution for conducting the referendum elapsed by effluxion of time on the 23rd day of September 2017.

He cited section 69 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended to buttress his claim. “It is apposite at this point, to give you a brief history or the political reasons behind the politically motivated recall orchestrated by Yahaya Bello, the governor of Kogi State and Senator Smart Adeyemi.

It is public knowledge that workers in Kogi State have not received their salaries for a period of more than six months now prior to 23rd June 2017.

It was on this premise, that I, Senator Dino Melaye, lent my voice to that of the suffering masses in Kogi State, to call for the prompt payment of all salaries owed workers in the state and the reopening of all closed tertiary institutions in the state. “Gentlemen of the press, it is common knowledge, that several attempts were made to assassinate me as a result of this. It was only after several attempts at my life failed, that they resorted to this sham process of recall.

“On the 23rd day of June, 2017, certain persons claiming to be my constituents, purportedly submitted a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the ground that they have lost confidence in me. It would interest you to know that the major ground for the alleged loss of confidence in me, was that I was constantly speaking against the Governor of Kogi State, for his high handedness in the administration of the state.

“I instructed my lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, to file an action in court, challenging the entire process on several grounds. The processes were duly served on INEC on the 28th day of June 2017, whereas INEC eventually filed its defence to the said originating processes one whole month after the service of the originating processes on it.

Despite INEC’s failure to file defence to my court processes, they suddenly woke up after a court had granted an order, directing them to maintain status quo pending the hearing of the Originating Summons.

They rushed to court, filed several applications, inclusive of an application before a brother vacation judge in the Federal High Court, asking him to interfere with the discretionary powers of another brother judge, who had already ordered that status quo be maintained.

“I was reliably informed by my Lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, that it is an elementary principle of law, that a court of coordinate jurisdiction, cannot sit on appeal over a judgment or order of a brother judge.

It was at this point that I personally felt, that it is either INEC’s lawyers, are not well versed in the law, or that they are exhibiting unusual desperation in their avowed determination to unseat me from the National Assembly, under the close guidance of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and Senator Smart Adeyemi. It is pertinent to state here that the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Kogi State, was physically present in court on the day of judgment, even when neither him, nor the Kogi State Government was party to the suit. Indeed the judge glowingly recognized his presence.

“You are all aware that the trial court had since delivered its judgment and I have instructed my lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome SAN, to file an appeal against the said judgment, which he has done. “In this case, INEC received the petition on the 23rd day of June, 2017.

The 90 days period, as provided for in the Constitution for conducting the referendum (after our verification) elapsed by effluxion of time on the 23rd day of September 2017.

“The time, as provided for in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, having elapsed by effluxion of time, I, Senator Dino Melaye, cannot and shall not under any circumstance, aid and abet INEC to further desecrate and infringe on the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which I have sworn to defend.

“I celebrate the obituary of the ‘made-in- Taiwan’ recall exercise, while sympathizing with the induced petitioners, who will obviously face charges of forgery and other criminal charges before a court of law very, very soon,” he said.

The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has disclosed that before now the state had recorded about 167 cases of kidnapping cases in a year but has overcome the trends sequel to security synergy in the state.

Bello who made this known in an interview with reporters in Minna after the passing out parade of 465 Niger and Kogi police recruit constables for 2017/2017 who were trained in Niger State capital.

The governor said that the state government considering its strategic position has overcome the menace sequel to the synergy and strategies put in place by the security agencies, “Kogi is now safe for both travelers and investors as the security challenges has been brought to the barest minimum”.

He further explained that in 2015 the state recorded between 11-33 monthly kidnapping cases noted that measures were put in place which includes: community policing, provision of 150 Hilux vehicles for security patrols and surveillance, Kogi vigilantees service operation where about 3,000 of them were engaged.

Represented by his Special Adviser on security, Commander Jerry Omodara rtd who stated that the state government had within 7 months demolished 18 houses used as hideouts for kidnappers and would continued to do so to make Kogi a safe place for all.

The Inspector General of Police IGP, Ibrahim Idris Kpotun said that the new recruited police to be posted to their various community to ensure community policing, two of the recruits each to be posted to FCT and training school Minna.

He appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to approved the police recruitment of 31,000 yearly in five years to enhanced international standard of one police to 400 persons rather than the current one police to over 600 persons.

Represented by the Deputy Inspector general DIG, Shuaibu Gambo Lawal who applauded the President for his approval to recruit 10,000 in 2016 for Police officers and men for effective and efficient service delivery of securing lives and properties an well enforcement of law and order in the country.

The Niger State Governor who was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ketso assured to give security agencies its required logistic support and assistance in carrying out their responsibility of safeguarding the people.

He added that the agency needed to develop new and appropriate strategies to counter all forms of criminal tendencies so as to earn confidence and support of the public hence to shun acts capable of affecting the reputation of the force.