Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, says payment of workers’ wages and salaries are his administration’s top priority.

Governor Wada made the statement when the Maigari of Lokoja, HRM Mohammed Maikarfi and some members of the council of Ulama paid him Sallah homage.

The governor said that he would slow down physical development to pay workers, who had worked tirelessly, their entitlement.

Some governors in Nigeria have had issues with the payment of workers salary, with some owing workers over seven months’ salary. The development was as a result of reduced allocation to the states from the Federation Account, due to the drop in oil price. Nigeria largely depends on crude oil sales as a source of revenue generation.

The development had triggered an austerity measure by the previous administration, with the former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, urging governors to give priority to the payment of workers salary.

In his key note address, Governor Wada thanked the Royal Father for the visit and used the opportunity to speak out on some of his on-going multi-million Naira projects which he said,would take some time to get completed.

But he stressed that at completion, the projects would last over 10 years for the use in the state.

On the sanitation challenges facing the state, Governor Wada said that it would be a thing of the past soon, as he urged the people living in Kabawa to improve in their sanitation.

While thanking the Governor for his good work so far, the Royal Father told Channels Televisions that the completion of the fasting had accorded them an opportunity to pray for the peace of Nigeria.

He however, urged all Muslims in the country to obey the constituted authority.

The Executive Secretary of the Uluma, Abdulkarim Aruwa, thanked the Governor for all he had done for the council but said they were surprised why the government had not paid the one month salary its owing despite the bailout fund.

Governor Wada, while responding to Aruwa, urged both Muslims and Christians in the state not to listen to rumor mongers whose aim was to cause disunity in the state. (Channels TV)

*Photo shows Gov. Wada

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