Local government workers in Kogi have appealed to the state government not to reduce their monthly percentage salary from 50 per cent to 30 per cent.
A group, League of Concerned Local Government Workers, made the appeal in a statement issued in Lokoja on Wednesday.
The statement, signed by its Coordinator, Mr Samson Amodu, and the Secretary, Mr Olagoke Babatunde, explained that there was no basis for the planned salary cut.
According to the group, there is no shortfall in the allocation that accrued to the state from the federation account for the month of March.
It said that any attempt by the state government to impose the 30 per cent salary on local government workers in all the 21 council areas would be resisted.
However, the Special Assistant to the state Commissioner for local government and Chieftaincy affairs, Mr Rufai Enero , said that no such plan was in the offing.
He dismissed it as a rumour, explaining that the ministry, to the best of his knowledge, had no plan to reduce the monthly percentage salary of local government workers.
Both Amodu and Babatunde, however, insisted that the plan was in the offing, alleging that some union leaders had been holding meetings with officials of the Ministry of Local Governments to give effect to the proposed 30 per cent salary payment.
The League urged the state government to emulate the Federal Government and some state governments which were giving palliatives to their workers to cushion the effect of COVID-19.
“Reduction in percentage of salary shouldn’t be the palliative Kogi State Government gives her citizens,” the statement said.
