Niger Govt Ready to Pay N30,000 Minimum wage
Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani-Bello has reassured that his administration will implement the N30, 000 new Minimum wage recently signed into law by the President.
In an address to mark the 2019 Worker’s Day in Minna, Governor Sani-Bello, however, lamented on huge wage bill of the state that has remained static since 2015, regardless of the number of workers that have either died or retired over the years.
The Governor tasks the Civil Servants to be sincere with themselves and support the state government in addressing ugly trends that have continued to bring setback within the system.
Governor Sani-Bello, nonetheless, commended the state workforce for serving as catalyst in the formulation and implementation of government policies and programmes, and for sustaining good governance in the state.
He assured that his administration will continue to lay emphasis on capacity development through training and retraining of all civil servants in a deliberate attempt to reposition the service for greater performance, effective and efficient service delivery.
The Governor outlined some of his administration’s modest effort on the civil servants to include; prompt payment of salaries and wages, restoration of annual leave grant, implementation of salary structure for health workers and federal Paramilitary salary structure for the state Fire Service, refund of 7.5% pension deduction as well as 15%salary augmentation for workers of the state Tertiary Institutions.
Governor Sani-Bello also disclosed that the state government had employed 250 graduates into the state civil service, 400 health workers and that it has completed the process of employing over 2,000 primary school teachers.
He assured that the state government will continue to deploy scarce resources in the execution of programmes and policies with direct relevance and impact on the lives of the citizens.
While felicitating with the workers on the occasion, Governor Sani-Bello congratulated the new NLC leadership in the state led by Comrade Yakubu Garba assuring of the state government’s partnership with the organised labour to systematically, but gradually, most of the challenges of civil servants in the state.
The Governor also used the occasion to thank the organised labour for its support during the recent general elections which contributed immensely to the renewed mandate secured by the present administration.
In his remarks the new Chairman, Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, NIger State Chapter, Comrade Yakubu Garba commended the Governor for his efforts towards ensuring better welfare for civil servants in the state.