I Won’t Renege On Better Welfare For Workers, Says Bala Mohammed

Bauchi State governor Bala Mohammed has said his administration is worker-friendly and will not relent in implementing policies and programmes aimed at motivating civil servants and improving their standard of living for greater productivity and result-oriented service.

The governor who addressed labour unions at the 2023 Workers’ Day celebration held at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi yesterday, said the employees’ compensation scheme was designed to provide compensation to workers who sustained or suffered from occupational diseases, injuries or disability at work or outside it as well as provides compensation to the next of kin of employee who dies in the course of his or her work.

Represented at the event by the head of service, Yahuza Adamu Haruna, the governor said the state government has adopted the implementation of N30,000 consequential adjustment of national minimum wage, the implementation and payment of the state government’s statutory contributions on Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS).

He said since the inception of his administration in May, 2019, far reaching measures have been put in place to ensure stabilisation of payment of salaries and pensions by making the nominal roll to drive the payroll so as to eliminate ‘the’ ghost workers syndrome, block leakages, improve cash flow management, cut irrelevant and unnecessary spending, among other fraudulent activities in the system.

The governor said his government was poised to support the state workers towards restoring the lost glory of the service and called for collective effort to ensure that the civil service in the state remains vibrant.

He said in an effort to ameliorate the suffering of civil servants in accessing quality health care services, the state government has approved the take-off of the health care contributory scheme in the state formal/public sector.

In addition, he said the state government had set-up machinery for the settlement of the backlog of pension and gratuity with a view to minimising the suffering of retired civil servants.

Other measures according to the governor included complete renovation of the Abubakar Umar Secretariat complex and 20 local governments areas secretariats so as to create a conducive working environment for workers.

Bala Mohammed said, “Due to the vacuum created in the civil service as a result of retirement, transfer, elevation, deployment, death etc, the state government has granted approval for employment of critical manpower needed to fill the existing vacancies in some MDAS. To this end, about 1,703 pre-service students were engaged by the state government especially in health sector so as to help addressing the manpower requirement of the state both in the short and long run.”

Earlier, the state chairman of the NLC, Comrade Dauda Shu’aibu and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Comrade Sabi’u Ningi applauded Governor Bala Mohammed for the waivers granted local government workers on promotion from 2018 to date and the regular release and implementation of promotion for officers in the civil service.

The labour leaders appreciated the governor for the implementation of New National Minimum Wage and consequential adjustment of salaries for officers on grade level 07 and above and assured of the labour union’s continuous unflinching support, loyalty, commitment and cooperation towards the progress and development of the state.