A political activist and former House of Representatives candidate for Dekina/Bassa federal constituency, Usman Okai, on Saturday raised concerns about the deteriorating state of education and the civil service workforce in Kogi State, urging the state government to take immediate action.
Okai criticized the state government for neglecting primary and secondary schools, describing them as “dead” and in “desperate need” of intervention.
In a statement he issued on Saturday, the politician c*m activist called on the administration to prioritize rehabilitating government and community schools to address the crisis.
While commending the government for paying workers’ salaries, Okai questioned the significance of this achievement given 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 said, blaming this on insufficient recruitment efforts.
The activist highlighted the impact of a controversial workforce screening exercise conducted during the administration of former Governor Yahaya Bello, which he alleged led to the dismissal of over 70% of workers without adequate replacements
