Olu Samuel, Lokoja

There was wild jubilation among local government area workers as the state government commenced the payment of 85 percent salaries to them.

The local government pensioners were not left out in the payments as they received 100 percent for the first time in sixteen years.

This might not be unconnected with the recent improvement in the allocation from the Federation account in recent times.

Percentage salaries payment started in 2011 when the state complained of paucity of fund as well as over bloated workforce.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu had last month shortly after the Federal allocation committee meeting directed state governments across the country to commence payment of backlog of workers salaries and pensions to reduce the hardship currently being faced in the country.

Some of the local government workers who spoke with our correspondent expressed delight as the new but quick to add that the tempo should be sustained.

“I only hope that Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo will be magnanimous enough to sustain the payment and even increase to one hundred percent. The hardship is just too much”.

Also, the Chairman on the Kogi state chapter of the Nigerian Union of pensioners, Engineer Clement Ohida thanked Gov. Ododo For Restoring Payment of 100% Pension to Pensioners at the Local Government.

Ohida who spoke to Newsmen on Monday in Lokoja said the Union wants to express her deepest gratitude to the State Governor for listening to the plea of pensioners at the Local Government level.

” We thank Gov. Ododo for bringing us to this level of payment of 100% pension after several years. By this feat he has proven to be Pensioners friendly and we are not taking it for granted “.

” We equally want to appreciate the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Barr. Deedat Ozigi Salami for his effort, working with Gov. Ododo towards ensuring that our cries and tears of several years is addressed”.

” The Union has been agitating for this level of payment for quite sometime and we are pleased that it has been effected by the April payment of pension by Gov. Ododo”.

“With this development, the Pensioners cannot do otherwise but to appreciate the Governor for his kind gesture and wished him every success while piloting the affairs of the State”.

” We cannot hide our joy. The administration is Pensioners friendly. The administration has proven that the sad narratives face by Pensioners in the past has become a thing of the past”.

“We also want to appreciate and thank Gov. Ododo for the appointment of one of our own, Comr. Onuh Edoka as the Special Adviser on Labour Matters. Comr. Onuh Edoka, is a Labour Chairman Emeritus and his appointment is in the right direction”.

“Gov. Ododo has thus far really shown that he is the people’s Governor and he has shown that he is a labour friendly Governor by all his actions and policies”.

” We believe that the Governor is working and Kogi State is working. We as a Union will continue to partner with the Government and we believe that other issues we have presented before the Government in the tine past will be addressed and actualized in the shortest possible time”.

“We look forward to the present administration addressing the issues of harmonization and gratuity of Pension for the Local Government”.
The NUP Chairman called on members to continue to pray and support the administration of Gov Ododo, pointing out that he means well for the State, particularly, workers and Pensioners at the Local Government level.

Also speaking on the development, the President of the Kogi state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local government Employee, NULGE,Tade Adeyemi told our correspondent in his office on Monday in Lokoja that the union fully appreciated the gesture