Lokoja -Kogi Government on Monday said it had no plans to downsize its workforce in spite of the huge wage bills and dwindling resources accruing to it.
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Dr. Moses Atakpa, the state’s Head of Service (HOS), who disclosed this in Lokoja while addressing newsmen to mark his four years in office, said the government would not contemplate such move.
Atakpa said that government had never contemplated reduction of workers as a possible step to enable it to cope with the astronomical wage bill.
He said any information in that regard was “mere speculation”.
“Currently, we are more interested in strengthening the civil service as the mechanism charged with implementing government policies, to ensure quality manpower that will take the state to the next stage of development and provide quality service for Kogi people.
“We have seen a lot of stability and the government has been able to keep the workforce in better state of mind; the Transformation Agenda of the present administration is on course.
“In terms of logistics provision, the Governor, Idris wada has been very upright. He is highly committed to workers’ welfare and he is up-to-date in terms of salary payment with exception of July which is expected to be paid any moment from now.
“Clearly, we are far ahead of other states in the payment of salaries and what we want to do is to consolidate and meet other obligations so as to get the best from the workers,” he said.
“Like we are talking about payment of salaries, the government is not finding it easy; the pressure is there and efforts are being made to contain the pressure.
“We must thank God for the stability of the process and we are moving forward.”
The HOS, who assumed office in August 2011 under former Gov. Ibrahim Idris, described his four years in office as “pleasant though eventful”. (NAN)