Civil servants in Kogi State are to begin a 3-day corporate prayer and fasting from Wednesday, October 11.
In a statement jointly issued by the state chapters of the NLC, TUC and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC), Olakunle Faniyi, Kolawole James and Isah Abubakar, Secretaries of NLC, TUC and JPSNC respectively, urged Kogi workers to observe the 3-day fasting and prayers in their respective estates, settlements and villages from Wednesday, October 11- Friday, October 13, 2017 as from 10 am each day.
“You are to use the period to gather in mosques, churches and other agreed places close to your residences at an agreed time for corporate prayer to call upon God for His divine intervention in our matter in Kogi state. Pray to God to continue to give us the boldness and confidence to continually resist the temptation to sell our future for a morsel of porridge. We are resolute as we take our case to God.
“As you are already aware, the government is sending what it refers to as the balance of July salary into the account of some workers. Come to think of it- workers/pensioners who have not taken salary/pension between two and 21 months, what is their fate? Our future as represented by our demands worth more than the balance of July salary, so let us not be deterred from this struggle for our emancipation.
“We emphasize once more that nothing other than government meeting all our demands would make us retreat in this struggle. Where the government feels this is not practicable for now, our doors, as always, remain opened for dialogue because Kogi State belongs to all of us.
“On Friday, October 13, 2017, all Muslims are to book for prayers in their respective Mosques during the Juma’at Prayer, while Christians are to do same on Sunday October 15, 2017 in their respective Churches during the Sunday Service.
“Those that received the so-called balance of July salary should be benevolent to those that have been without salary all these while, even though is insufficient. You are advised that in your spending, let emphasis be on food as salary payment is not yet guaranteed in this state.
“Workers who are fond of being used to lure others to offices through text messages and phone calls are advised to desist henceforth, as their contacts will soon be made public as saboteurs,” the statement read.
In the meantime, the organized Labour has directed workers to stay away from government offices as the strike continued indefinitely.
