By Suleiman Hamid
“I can confirm to you that I have received alert for my November salary.
“I am very glad that the N72, 000 minimum wage as recently promised by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf reflected on my November salary,” one civil servant told The Triumph Wednesday.
This was the situation all over Kano State as Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf fulfilled his pledge to implement the new minimum wage structure in the state.
The governor had on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, approved the new minimum wage, which took effect last month, during his receipt of the Public Service Negotiation Committee Report, headed by the state Head of Civil Service.
However, Governor Yusuf, acknowledged the financial constraints of the new minimum wage, including the low Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) he inherited, stating that his government inherited an average monthly IGR of N2 billion, lamenting that by comparison, states such as Lagos generate an average of N54.3 billion, Rivers N14.5 billion, Ogun N10.1 billion and Delta N7.1 billion.
He also noted that this disparity highlights the urgent need for stakeholders to reform the state’s domestic revenue generation strategies to meet obligations to the people of the state.
Governor Yusuf also revealed that the implementation of the minimum wage will increase the state’s monthly salary obligations by over N6 billion, adding that an additional N7 billion is needed for the 44 local government councils.
He stressed that this approval exemplifies a commitment to social justice, economic growth, and enhanced living standards for state workers and citizens.
“Our administration is deeply committed to prioritizing the welfare of our civil servants, who tirelessly provide efficient, effective, and quality services to our people despite limited financial resources,” he stated.
I can tell that so many workers in Kano today are sleeping with a strange peace of mind in the face of a stubborn economic downturn that bites the common man harder by the day.
I can also tell that much more families and dependants of these workers have heaved a sigh of relief with the succour that came to their guardians.
It is noteworthy that in addition to the implementation of the new minimum wage, the state government has also commenced the payment of all the allowances of the health workers in the state.
These allowances had become a recurring bane between the government and medical workers.
The previous government had neglected workers’ welfare and left them to their fate.
This neglect resulted in mass resignation of these workers from service of the state, with many of them having to look for opportunities in other states where remuneration is befitting of their critical role in the society.
On his coming to power, Governor Yusuf ensured that the government engaged the Nigerian Medical Association in constant dialogue to improve their situation.
This singular act prevented the state health sector from total collapse, the situation today is not as desired, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
With Governor Yusuf’s exemplary leadership, the system is seeing a massive upgrade, and it will be a point of replication for other states in years to come.
According to Dr. Aburrahman Ali of the Nigerian Medical Association, Kano branch, the November salary has been paid with the updated CONMESS structure for all doctors working in the state’s hospitals, a major demand by the medical workers that Governor Yusuf has finally settled.
This is another encouragement to all medical workers to remain committed and to continue delivering excellent healthcare services to the good people of the state and beyond, as it is worthy of mention that the government is presently upgrading numerous medical facilities around the state that were in a state of decay into a befitting state.
One area that Governor Yusuf has tremendously demonstrated leadership is the management of industrial relations with workers in the state.
The governor has shown commitment to workers’ education and his support for union executives and members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kano chapter.
From September 11-13, 2024, he organised a workshop that focused on conflict management for harmonious industrial labour relations.
This has promoted peaceful industrial relations and progress in the state, renewing enthusiasm among the labour sector in the state.
According to the chairman of the NLC in the state, Comrade Kabiru A. Inuwa, Governor Yusuf has maintained strong commitment to fair compensation for workers and fostering an environment conducive to productivity and economic growth.
The NLC chairman further described the governor as “a workers’ and pensioners’ friendly leader, particularly during these challenging economic times.”
Governor Yusuf also often gets praised for fostering harmonious labour relations and his readiness to always collaborate with the government to safeguard the rights and welfare of all workers and pensioners.
While civil servants were rejoicing over this significant increment, our senior citizens, the pensioners also joined them in the celebration as Governor Yusuf has also implemented an increment in the minimum payment for pensioners in the state from N5, 000 to N20, 000.
In the context of Kano and the dark times that the senior citizens lived between 2015 and 2023, this must have felt like a raindrop in the middle of a scorching drought.
During the previous administration, pensioners were subjected to arbitrary deductions from their payments monthly without any explanation for where their entitlements went to.
The payment of gratuities was also stopped for those eight years, no pensioner was able to access his or her gratuity without having to go through a highly placed backdoor that exploited their (workers’) vulnerability.
Governor Yusuf inherited a pension system plagued by disorder and corruption, where illegal deductions and systemic irregularities left many pensioners without their entitled benefits.
This has fortunately been reversed as the governor has settled 6,000 pensioners so far to the tune of N11 billion.
The first set of 2,000 pensioners were settled with over N6 billion in November last year, while the second phase has covered N5 billion for 4,000 retirees and death benefits, starting June this year.
Governor Yusuf has demonstrated the state’s obligation to promptly fulfill its commitments to elderly retirees as promised during the election campaign.
In illustrating this steadfast commitment, monthly pensions are now disbursed on or before the 25th of each month, free from arbitrary deductions, a significant departure from past practices, highlighting transparency and accountability.
I will close with the words of the National President of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Comrade Godwin Abumisi: “The settlement of unpaid gratuities and death benefits at a time when his other colleagues are grappling with take-up issues, speaks volumes of Your Excellency’s capacity to like never before, provide dividends of democracy to the people of Kano State.
“This gesture is a clear manifestation of your workers and pensioner-friendly posture.
“By our records, Kano State is among states with high accumulation of unpaid retirement benefits to the tune of N43 billion from 2016 to date.
“However, with the earmarking of N6 billion just for a start, it is a clear indication that in no distance future, Kano under Abba Gida Gida will soon join the league of states with little or no gratuity liability like Kaduna, Jigawa, Ondo and others.”
Indeed, this commitment is coming to fruition, Governor Abba Gida Gida is proving to be a breeze of cool air that is calming all sectors of the economy in Kano and his leadership is breathing life back to workers and pensioners in the state.
It is also giving their children the wings to fly through quality and accessible education.
I believe that he has a date with history that will be written for ages with golden ink.
Hamid writes from Kano.
