By Rabiu Sanusi
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has announced that his administration is set to initiate a housing scheme to provide decent and affordable shelter for workers in the state under the National Housing Fund Scheme.
The Governor made this disclosure during the International Workers’ Day celebrations held at the Sani Abacha Stadium.
Represented by his Deputy, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, the Governor explained that the state government is ready to provide land for the construction of the houses as soon as stakeholders involved in the process conclude discussions.
In a press statement issued to newsmen by the Deputy Governor’s Spokesperson, Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu, he said Governor Yusuf proudly declared Kano as the ancestral home of May Day in Nigeria, while assuring his administration’s commitment to pursuing policies and programs that motivate the working class to render quality service for the development of the state.
He highlighted several achievements of his administration, including:
– Prompt payment of salaries and pensions
– Release of Six billion Naira for settlement of workers’ Gratuities
– Renovation of offices
– Resumption/payment of monthly operational funds across government agencies
– Resumption of regular promotions
– Recruitment of fresh workers
– Screening and confirmation of 10,000 workers out of 13,000 employed by the previous administration
– Provision of 5 trucks of 25kg rice to civil servants as a Ramadan gesture to cushion the pain of global economic hardship
– Provision of sustainable basket funds for workers’ capacity building
– Provision of a sickbay at Audu Bako Secretariat for the well-being of workers and their families
While maintaining that his administration had accorded priority to the development of education, agriculture, and healthcare, among other services, the Governor appealed to workers to reciprocate the gesture through commitment and dedication to duty.
Earlier in his remarks, the state NLC Chairman, Comrade Kabiru Inuwa, congratulated the Governor on his victory at the Supreme Court, which affirmed his election.
Comrade Inuwa, however, stressed that the NLC needs timely intervention on the issue of the backlog of unremitted pension contributions by some organizations, with a staggering accumulation of over 75 billion as of May 2023, which poses a serious threat to the financial security of retirees.
He also requested that the payment of wage awards, which 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 emphasized the need to constitute a Governing Board for the state pension contributory scheme, implementation of local government autonomy, and reintroduction of vehicle loans for civil servants, among other demands.
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