Usman Okai Criticizes Kogi State Government Over Education and Workforce Crisis

Usman Okai, a political activist and former House of Representatives candidate for Dekina/Bassa federal constituency, has raised alarming concerns about the deteriorating state of education and the dwindling civil service workforce in Kogi State. Speaking out on Saturday, Okai urged the state government to take swift and decisive action to address the ongoing issues.

In his statement, Okai heavily criticized the government for neglecting primary and secondary schools, calling them “dead” and in “desperate need” of intervention. He emphasized that the education sector is in a state of disrepair and requires urgent rehabilitation to avoid further decline.

While Okai commended the government for its efforts to pay workers’ salaries, he questioned the significance of this achievement, given the rapidly declining number of civil servants. “The junior workers, who are supposed to benefit from the new minimum wage, are no longer in service in Kogi State,” Okai explained, attributing this situation to a lack of sufficient recruitment.

The activist pointed to the controversial workforce screening exercise carried out during the tenure of former Governor Yahaya Bello, which he claimed led to the dismissal of over 70% of workers without adequate replacements. Okai also accused key government officials, including Governor Usman Ododo, Deputy Governor Salifu Joel Oyibo, and Alhaji Yakubu Okala, of being aware of the crisis but failing to take action.

“Some people have been working for over six years without receiving salaries,” Okai alleged, calling on the government to disclose the total number of workers and the wage bill for both state and local government employees to verify his claims.

Okai further highlighted that Kogi State has one of the lowest civil service workforce numbers in northern Nigeria, attributing this to the failure to recruit replacements for retiring employees.

Despite his criticisms, Okai did acknowledge the government’s progress in improving security, calling these efforts commendable. However, he stressed that addressing the plight of workers and revitalizing the education sector should be the top priorities for the state government moving forward.