The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has ordered some of the workers in the local government council to refund excess money collected as salary and allowances from the government.

The state President of NULGE, Mr. Tade Adeyemi, who gave the mandate during an interview in Lokoja on Friday, added that there is no plan by the Kogi State government to sack over 700 of its members.

Adeyemi disclosed that the government is planning to extract names of some local government workers from the payroll due to their constant failure to meet up with certain conditions adding that the affected workers are mainly those who were found guilty of one infraction or the other during the last screening exercise.

He said that this set of workers were pardoned by the state government but were asked to fulfill certain conditions to enable the government to fully regularise their employment.

According to him, “Some of them complied but many took things for granted and refused to comply with the directive of the government more than a year after. These are the workers whose names the government is planning to extract from the payroll.”

The NULGE president, however, said that the state government has given those affected another opportunity by setting up committees headed by council treasurers to meet with the affected workers with the aim of perfecting their records adding that the assignment is being carried out in conjunction with NULGE branches in all the 21 council areas of the state.

Adeyemi said that some of the workers are to refund excess money collected as salary and allowances from the government while others who went to school without due permission and thereafter went for national youth service are to refund salaries they collected during the period of service or refund the monthly NYSC stipend.

He further stressed that those that have been working with a statement of results for years and those of them with doubtful certificates are to bring their original certificates for verification or quit service.

However, he urged local government workers across the state to remain calm and to continue to discharge their duties without any fear as NULGE was working on issues relating to their jobs and welfare.