Unable to use this plugin for log into local server log files

[sandbh]

Trying to use this plugin for log into local server log files
like /var/log/messages' or in some custom log file apart from nginx access or error log ie /var/log/testing.log etc.
But unable to do this.
getting following errors while trying
failed to flush log message: try to send log messages to the log server failed after 3 retries: try to connect to the log server failed after 3 retries: connection refused
failed to flush log message: try to send log messages to the log server failed after 3 retries: try to connect to the log server failed after 3 retries: permission denied
Am I configuring something wrong......

local ok, err = logger.init{
host = 'localhost',
path='/var/log/messages',
}
if not ok then
ngx.log(ngx.ERR, "failed to initialize the logger: ",
err)
return
end
end
-- construct the custom access log message in
-- the Lua variable "msg"

            local bytes, err = logger.log(msg)
            if err then
                ngx.log(ngx.ERR, ".failed to log message: ", err)
                return
            end
            local bytes, err = logger.flush()
            if err then
                 **ngx.log(ngx.ERR, "failed to flush  log message: ", err)**
                return
            end