Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Tertiary institutions in Kogi on Wednesday passed a vote of no confidence on the Staff Screening Complaints/Appeal Committee inaugurated by the state governor, Yahaya Bello on Monday.

In its 6^th communiqué signed by the Chairman, Joseph Shuaibu and made available to newsmen in Lokoja on Wednesday, the JAC also issued an ultimatum to the State Government to pay all the workers, both “cleared and un-cleared.”

It urged that all outstanding salaries be cleared within seven days with effect from Jan. 23, 2017.

It stressed that failure to meet the conditions on the part of government would force the body to declare an indefinite industrial action from Tuesday Jan. 31.

In the communiqué which emanated from Kogi State University Teaching Hospital, Anyigba, JAC queried non-inclusion of any of its members in the 32-member committee adding that the government ought to do the needful.

Shuaibu stressed that the “cleared and un-cleared” lists sent to tertiary institutions were marred with inconsistencies and irregularities adding that the governor was misguided on the regulatory laws operational in the tertiary institutions.

He held that the screening committee disregarded and subverted laws guiding operations of tertiary institutions in the Federal Republic of Nigeria on retirement age of professors and lecturers among others.

He said they resolved to forward a letter to the Kogi State Judiciary on the violation of laws in the conditions and retirement age in the tertiary institutions.

The communiqué advised the state government to decentralise the complaints and appeal committee if it must work as those who had been slated for re-screening had not been paid salaries for months and may have difficulties traveling to Lokoja.

“The appeal committee should authenticate at the issuing institutions all claims made to the possession of results whose certificates are not available while honouring attestation from the institutions”, it said. (NAN)