April 04, (THEWILL) – A coalition of civil servants in Sokoto State has faulted the claim made by the State Government, that its workforce has been paid all outstanding salaries.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the leader of the Coalition, Ibrahim Adamu Musa, from Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, said contrary to the claim, many civil servants in the state have not received their February and March salaries.
He said the comments made by the State Commissioner for Information, Muhammad Akibu Dalhatu, that the state government is not owing civil servants arrears of two months’ salary, were misleading and false.
He added the State Government’s insincerity had provoked the affected civil servants to hold the press conference and seek the intervention of His Eminence the Sultan and other well-meaning people in the state.
The matter, according to the coalition leader, has been tabled before the state chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress. The state chairman of the NLC, however, gave the coalition the green light to go ahead with their press conference.
“Before now, none of the civil servants in the state banking with UBA, First Bank, Keystone Bank, and Guarantee Trust Bank were paid their February and March salaries.
“If the present Administration failed to listen to the words of wisdom from well-meaning individuals in the state, we will be left with no option than to approach the court to seek legal redress.
The group further called on the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, as well as other elders in the state, to assist in their numerous ways to get the outstanding salaries of the affected civil servants paid on time.
Tunde Omolehin is an award-winning Journalist with prose in investigative and storytelling that is connecting the dots between the under-reported communities and policymakers to ensure good governance and accountability.
