Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State has said that government is not doing favour to workers by paying their salaries regularly.
The governor vowed that one of his priorities is to be committed to the welfare of civil servants in the state.
Governor Ododo, who spoke to newsmen shortly after observing Eid-el-Kabir prayer at his Okene country home yesterday, June 16 said that the government should carry out its responsibilities to the citizens without showing any signs as if the government is doing them a favour.
“We are doing what we are supposed to do as a government (in paying salaries) for the people of Kogi State, especially the civil servants.
“When your people are happy, they will be so excited to engage in their duties and do their job diligently, thereby increasing productivity.
“So, it is part of our responsibilities to take care of our people, and we are doing it with the help of God and with the support of Mr President.”
The governor sent a strong warning to criminal elements to stay away from the state, stressing that Kogi is not a fertile ground for criminality.
He said that the perpetrators behind the kidnapped students of Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara, came to test the capacity of his government, but that they subsequently faced the consequences.
“They came to test the waters, to find out what our reactions would be, and truly, they faced the consequences of their actions.
“Kogi is not a fertile land for anybody to come and trade free in terms of crimes and criminality.
“They have come and they have seen the results; if they come back in their numbers, they will go back in their zeros.
“I can’t tell you what awaits them, but I hope they will never try it again,” Ododo said.
He said that the government was able to rescue 29 out of the 31 kidnapped CUSTECH students, adding that unfortunately, two were killed by the abductors.
Governor Ododo prayed to God to rest the souls of the students that were killed and for God to comfort their family members.
“Security is one of our top priorities and responsibilities in Kogi, which is why we are doing everything possible with the support of Mr President to make sure that every soul in this state is protected and secured.”
He appreciated heads of all security agencies as well as the vigilantes and hunters for working in synergy to protect the lives and property of the citizenry.
