Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi on Friday enjoined the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to join hands with the Federal Government in the fight against corruption for the cdevelopment of the country.
Bello who made the call while speaking at the 40th Anniversary celebration of NLC in Lokoja, said the call was necessary in order to ensure the success of the crusade.
Represented by his deputy, Elder Simon Achuba, the governor said if labour strengthened itself and resolve to fight corruption alongside government, the war would be won with minimum stress.
He said that the nation required repentance in the placement of its values, adding that for corruption to thrive, there must be a collaboration between the leaders and the led.
Bello held that Labour, at 40, had come of age to lead the nation and check the activities of the monster called corruption as being pursued by the Buhari-led administration.
He said the civil service as the engine room of government at all levels was the most effective platform that could be used to check corruption in the system.
The governor explained that the on-going civil service reforms were geared toward restructuring the system to promote productivity and reduce high level corruption that had bedevilled the state.
He assured the workers that January and February salaries would be paid to all genuine workers in the state within the next two weeks and appealed to NLC to continue to cooperate with government.
Speaking earlier, the state chairman of the NLC, Comrade One Edoka commended the past leadership of the organised Labour in the state and the country.
He said that the present leadership of Ayuba Wabba had been full of agitations in the fight for Kogi workers.
Edoka said though, Gov. Bello’s administration had performed excellently well in the area of revenue generation and security, it had however failed in the area of workers’ welfare.
The administration, he said, was characterised by premature retirement, percentage salary to workers and outright non-payment in some cases.
He appealed to the governor to recall those wrongfully dismissed and do something about the government’s anti-workers policies adding, “The civil service under your watch is nose-diving.”
The anniversary was attended by Head of Service, Mrs Deborah Ogunmola, in company of two of her predecessors, Dr Moses Atakpa and Mrs H.O.K. Lawal.
