I will settle all outstanding salaries, pension before leaving – Zamfara Gov

By IBRAHIM KANOMA, Gusau

Governor of Zamfara State, Hon. Bello Matawalle, has promised to settle the backlog of salaries, allowances and pension arrears before the end of his tenure on May 29, 2023.

The governor, who was represented by the State’s Head of Service, Hon. Kabiru Mohammed Gayari, at the Workers’ Day celebration in Gusau, the state capital, disclosed this on Monday.

According to him, his administration is committed to settling the backlog of arrears of workers, pensioners salaries and allowances before expiration of tenure.

“We have started implementing the N30,000 minimum wage but something happened that disrupted our attention, making us not to fully implement the 30,000 minimum wage,” he said.

Delivering his speach, the state Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Saidu Mudi, lamented that the civil servants in Zamfara State were not happy with government as it neglected the agreement signed with the labour forces.

According to Mudi, the state government failed “woefully” in the area of workers rights and social economic justice, saying that the workers are the engine room of government in any society.

“Workers rights are sets of principles as clearly defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO), an agency of the United Nations whose aim is to guarantee fairness, healthy and equitable working conditions for employees by setting forth the International Labour standard”, he lamented.

“While the socio-economic justice involves the provision of equal opportunities to all categories of workers and to ensure that each receives incentives and wages consummate with their task and levels,” he said.

He said further that despite all efforts made by the two labour forces in the state, the issue was yet to be resolved.

He said that workers salaries and allowances were no longer paid by grade levels as the government chose to pay what it liked to the civil servants.

“Regrettably, the Zamfara State civil servants have experienced their worst moments within these two months because it was the entire Muslim Ummah across the world observed fasting of the holy month of Ramadan and Idel- fire sallah celebration but Zamfara State workers were subjected to all kinds of hardship.

“Many of us were not able to provide clothing to our families as a result of the non payment of salaries and allowances during the salkah period. In fact, many could not pay utility or medical bills talk less of medical bills of their families which indeed is very unfortunate,” he said.

The state TUC leader, however, lamented the problems associated with pension and gratuities of the pensioners, which he said disturbed the organised labour forces now running out of patience.

He said that they were not happy with the government’s handling of the issue of pension and gratuities in the state.

In his own submission, the State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Sani Haliru, appealed to the government to stabilise the blueprint of approved and constitutional right of workers, stressing that it will no doubt reduce the pains and hardships during the critical economic impetus.

According to him, it is disheartening that the state government heavily depends on monthly allocations and grants from the federation account despite abundant resources in the state, which he said needs to be positively utilised to move the state forward and promote infrastructures that could bring or improve the internally generated revenues.