By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Senators on Wednesday donated about 1,260 bags of rice to alleviate the sufferings of Kogi workers who are being owed between 15 to 18 months’ salary.
This was disclosed to newsmen on Wednesday by the senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Dino Melaye.
Dino has informed that the hardship occasioned by the non-payment of workers’ salaries by the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has led to citizens of Kogi taking their own lifes.
He recalled how a civil servant in Kogi State committed suicide for hearing that his wife gave birth to triplet just because he is being owed nine months salary and does not how to take care of them. Stressing that another incident happened where a man lost his child because he did not have N3,000 to buy drugs for him.
Dino said in reaction to this emergency and in accordance with the call by the labour leader for urgent assistance to the civil servants in the state, the senators had to intervene through the donations to alleviate the sufferings of the people
According to him “At our level, we will continue to do our best to assist where necessary particularly now that the situation has led to suicides across the state”.
Melaye who brought the attention of the senate to the hardship which the workers are facing, called on good spirited Nigerians to also donate relief materials to Kogi State workers.
He gave the breakdown of donations by senators thus: Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu donated 100 bags of rice to Kogi workers while the Senate leader, Ahmed Lawan donated 30 bags of rice.
Others include, Senators Philip Aduda (30 bags of rice), Tayo Alasoadura (20 bags of rice), Obinna Ogba (20 bags of rice), Ibn Na’Allah (20 bags of rice), Ibrahim Gobir (50 bags of rice) Atai Aidoko Ali (70 bags of rice) and Peter Nwaoboshi.
Also donated bags of rice include, Senators Umaru Kurfi (20 bags), Adamu Aliero (50 bags), Danjuma Goje (50 bags), Bayero Nafada (30 bags), Sam Anyanwu (20 bags), Buruji Kashamu (50 bags), Laa Danjuma (15 bags), Rose Oko (20 bags) and Fatima Raji Rasaki (10 bags).
Others are, Senators Suleiman Adokwe (10 bags), Ben Bruce (10 bags) Jerry Oseni (20 bags), Isa Shuaibu (40 bags), Ahmed Ogembe (30 bags), Albert Bassey (20 bags), Mustapha Bukar (20 bags), Yusuf A. Yusuf (15 bags) and Buka Kaka Bashir (20 bags).
Those who donated also include, Senators Abdullahi Ginmel (20 bags), Malam Ali Wakili (20 bags), Ovie Omo-agege (5 bags), Barau Jibril (10 bags), Adeola Solomon (20 bags), Rafiu Ibrahim (30 bags), Stella Oduah (30 bags), Sonni Ogbuoji (10 bags), Shaaba Lafiaji (20 bags), Francis Alimekhena (20 bags), Matthew Urhoghide (20 bags) and Biodun Olujimi (20 bags).
Dino reminded that only such donations would help ameliorate the sufferings of the workers in what he described as satanic manifestation of Yahaya Bello’s administration.
The Senator representing Kogi West while reacting to question as to how the material will be delivered to the civil servats, Dino Said it will be delivered through the leadership of Labour Congress in Kogi State .
Senator Dino Melaye informed that the donation in work in progress as other senators who were not at plenary today will be given the opportunity to make their own donations.