- He emphasised that while the government supports trade unions, it will not tolerate practices that undermine the state’s development
The Kogi State Government has banned trade unions from collecting daily revenue in all 21 local government areas, citing concerns over misuse of funds.
Governor Usman Ododo, represented by the Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, announced the decision on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting. He emphasised that while the government supports trade unions, it will not tolerate practices that undermine the state’s development.
“In 2017, the Kogi State Revenue Harmonisation Law introduced the Infrastructure Maintenance Levy (IML) to fund road maintenance. However, some union leaders have prioritised personal gain, collecting illegal membership dues instead of remitting funds as required,” Fanwo said.
He added that security agencies had been directed to enforce the ban, warning that disruptions to public order would not be tolerated.
The government clarified that union dues must be fair and collected monthly, bi-annually, or annually, as stipulated in union by-laws, rather than on a daily basis.