By John Audu.
In a decisive move to curb financial mismanagement, the Kogi State Government has banned trade unions from collecting daily revenue across all 21 local government areas. Governor Usman Ododo, through the Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, announced this policy at a stakeholders meeting on Wednesday, emphasizing the government’s commitment to fostering state development.
Governor Ododo highlighted issues with the Kogi State Revenue Harmonisation Law of 2017, which introduced the Infrastructure Maintenance Levy (IML). This levy, designed as a nominal daily contribution from commercial vehicles, aims to fund infrastructure maintenance and improvement, crucial for economic progress.
“Regrettably, the execution of this law has been compromised by certain union leaders seeking personal benefit at the expense of their members and the state,” Fanwo stated. “These leaders have been collecting unauthorized membership dues instead of remitting the IML, thus depriving both the government and their members of essential revenue.”
The administration has deemed these actions unacceptable and has thus prohibited the collection of daily revenue by unions, effective immediately. Security agencies have been tasked with enforcing this ban, and any disturbances to public order will be met with strict consequences.
While respecting individuals’ constitutional rights to freedom of association, the government clarified that union dues should be fair, member-approved, and collected on a monthly, bi-annual, or annual basis as outlined in union by-laws, rather than daily.
In line with ensuring compliance, Kogi’s State Security Adviser, Commodore Jerry Omodara (retd.), promised rigorous enforcement of the new policy. He also reiterated the ongoing ban on commercial tricycles and motorcycles on highways, a measure aimed at reducing road accidents.
This initiative underlines the Kogi State Government’s commitment to financial transparency and infrastructure development, aiming to create a more accountable system for revenue collection and allocation.
