A political activist and former House of Representatives candidate for the Dekina/Bassa federal constituency, Usman Austin Okai, Usman Okai, has raised concerns about the deteriorating state of education and the shrinking civil service workforce in Kogi State.
He has called on the government to take immediate action to address these issues.
Okai criticized the state government for neglecting primary and secondary schools, describing them as “dead” and in “desperate need” of intervention. He urged the administration to prioritize the rehabilitation of government and community schools to tackle the crisis.
While commending the government for paying workers’ salaries, Okai questioned the significance of this achievement in light of the dwindling 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,” he stated, attributing this to insufficient recruitment efforts.
The activist further highlighted the negative impact of a controversial workforce screening exercise conducted during the administration of former Governor Yahaya Bello.
According to Okai, this exercise led to the dismissal of over 70% of workers without adequate replacements.
He also accused key figures, including Governor Usman Ododo, Deputy Governor Salifu Joel Oyibo, and Alhaji Yakubu Okala, of being aware of the ongoing workforce crisis but failing to take corrective action.
“Some people have been working for over six years without receiving salaries,” Okai alleged.
He challenged the state government to disclose the total number of workers and the wage bill for both state and local government employees to counter his claims.
Okai noted that Kogi State ranks among the northern states with the lowest number of civil service workers, attributing this to the government’s failure to recruit replacements for retirees.
Despite his criticisms, Okai acknowledged the state government’s efforts in improving security, describing the progress as commendable.
However, he emphasized that addressing the workers’ plight and revitalizing the education sector should remain top priorities.
