May 1, (THEWILL) – Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State says his administration will enhance the welfare and working conditions of workers in the state.
Yusuf made the promise during the International Workers’ Day celebrations, which was held at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.
Represented by his Deputy, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, the Governor also pledged that his administration would not relent in ensuring timely payment of salaries and pensions of retirees geared towards improving their welfare.
He disclosed that plans are underway to initiate a befitting Housing Scheme for workers, stressing that when fully unveiled, the scheme would pave the way for workers to own houses at affordable rates.
He maintained that his administration had accorded priority to the development of education, agriculture and healthcare, among other services.
Yusuf appealed to the workers to reciprocate the gesture through commitment and dedication to duty.
In his remarks, the state NLC Chairman, Comrade Kabiru Inuwa,congratulated the Governor for his victory at the Supreme Court which affirmed his election.
Comrade Inuwa listed some of the achievements of Governor Yusuf-led Administration to include timely payment of salaries and full payment of pension without deductions.
He, however, stressed that the NLC needs timely intervention on the issue of the backlog of unremitted pension contributions by some organisations with a staggering accumulation of over 75 billion as of May 2023, which the chairman said poses a serious threat to the financial security of retirees.
He also requested that the payment of wage awards that were only paid once needs to be revisited, saying that workers rely on the awards to improve their standard of living, and that a consistent payment schedule shall be established to safeguard their welfare.
Comrade Inuwa then emphasised the need to constitute a Governing Board for the state pension contributory scheme, implementation of the local government autonomy, and reintroduction of vehicle loans for civil servants, among other demands.
“The much-sought local government autonomy is crucial to the development of our state. It is pertinent to solicit the support of the Kano state government in partnering with the agitators to make local government autonomy a reality”, he said.
The event witnessed a large turnout out of workers, top government officials, NLC, TUC, NUJ, NAWOJ and other relevant stakeholders.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
