Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has warned civil servants in the state not to allow themselves to be used by political detractors to blackmail him over non payment of salaries saying welfare of workers is one of the top priorities of his administration.

The governor in a New Year state broadcast, on Monday, said his administration, last December, succeeded in paying almost all the salaries arrears owed all categories of workers in the state and stressed that the few ones that are yet to be paid were those having issues with the concluded staff screening exercise.

He expressed surprise that in spite of all his administration did to ameliorate the sufferings of workers, some ” discredited politicians ” are still using some unscrupulous workers to blackmail his administration that he was owing backlog of salaries and said any worker caught conniving with detractors to blackmail his administration will hence forth be death with.

The governor said as from this January workers’ attendance to work would be strictly monitored through the use of electronic device otherwise known as ‘ clock -in, clock- out which he said will finally determine the take -home pay of each worker with a view to fish out indolent ones.

While mentioning some of his achievements in the last two years, he said his administration embarked on many projects that have direct bearing with the common man in the street. He said his agriculture policy has brought succour to citizens in the state as the mass production of rice through the omi dam has forced prices of food items to be reduced as government now sells rice at subsidised rate to the citizens.

Governor Bello also expressed hope that this year will be far better than that of last year as his administration has mapped out areas to transform the state and create employment opportunities for the teeming youths and urged the citizens to remain law abiding.