The planned protest by the past political and appointed office holders in Kogi state is an embarrassment which the state government must urgently do all in its power to avoid. Recently, the state has severally been in the news negatively due to the perceived actions and inactions of the state government.
It is with utter dismay that the new direction government of Yahaya Bello has.consistently rejected the plea of the past political and appointed office holders on the non-payment of their statutory severance package. The protest is intended as a last option to bring to the attention of the government the excruciating pains, sorrow and untold hardship the delay/non-payment of the package has caused the victims’ families.
It is advisable that the government averts this planned protests in public interest because our state as it is today does not need any issue that would affect the peace. We thought that after serving the state in various capacities meritoriously, the Kogi state government would reciprocate by promptly releasing the severance package to this deserving political and appointed severed officials.
The payment of the severance package was captured in the fiscal budgets of the state and it is therefore an abberation and a minus to the Kogi state government as the non-payment of the severance package shows that it cannot fund its budgets. The severed officials therefore have the right to a peaceful protest as a last option after several open letters and appeals to the government.
The planned protest which involves the carrying of playcards and marching in the streets of the state capital, Lokoja, would send a message to the world that the government of Kogi state cares less about the welfare of its citizens particularly when it comes to fulfilling its contract to the people.
The payment of severance package is not a political act but an act of welfare for the citizenry of the state who have served deligently and selflessly and should not be denied their entitlements.Those are your very words prior to your election for a second term.
We advise the state government to avoid any confrontation against this political and appointed severed office holders and think of ways to urgently offset this payment in the interest of the state.
A situation whereby the government of the state would allow the issue of payment of salaries, pensions and severance allowances to be a burning issue is not in the best interests of the state. The manifestation of the government’s avowed philosophy of implementing new ways of doing things should therefore continue in this way.
The state government should be aware of the dictum that a hungry man is an angry man by listening to the plea and cries of this appointes by immediately paying them this allowances and peace would reign in the state. A stitch in time saves nine.
Musa Musawa,
Lokoja, Kogi state
