Nasarawa Tackles BudgIT, Denies Owing Workers’ Salaries

Nasarawa State government has faulted BudgIT’s 2022 Sub-national Salary Survey report insisting that the State does not owe its workers.

In the report, which BudgIT said was a result of a field survey, Nasarawa State was mentoned as one of the states owing workers salary for six months and above.

Reacting to the report, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Abdullahi Sule, Ibrahim Addra, said it was “untrue, unjust, unfair and has come to the Nasarawa state government as a rude shock’ even as he demanded an apology from BudgIT.

“Going by its past reputation, we had hoped BudgIT would deny the report or come out to admit errors in its data collection and make amends.

“Days after the report BudgIT has not done so hence Nasarawa state government is left with no option but to lay bare this fallacy by BudgIT. Such matters of workers salary are not issues that can be concealed or left to some unverified data. The workers in Nasarawa can speak for themselves in this regard and have done so at different times.”

Continuing, the governor’s media aide said “for the avoidance of doubt, Nasarawa State government under the stewardship of Engr. Abdullahi Sule has never and does not owe a single month of salary.”

He noted that the state has paid salaries up to July of 2022 and in full, adding that it was, therefore, curious, worrisome and in bad taste that “such lies are allowed to remain in the public domain.”

Addra noted that “by this report, BudgIT misinformed Nigerians and its wider audience and has in doing so dented its image and reduced its credibility quotient.We are at a loss as to how BudgIT got its data and arrived at this unfortunate conclusion.”

He challenge BudgIT to come to the state and speak with the workers themselves and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) or any other labour union.

“We challenge BudgIT to admit it has goofed and come out with a categorical statement and apology regarding the status of salary payment in Nasarawa State.

“Anything short of this honourable path will be viewed as an unwarranted attack on the government and people of Nasarawa state.

“The timing of the BudgIT report smacks of mischief and by allowing the same such wide circulation in the media space bear the markings of the job of a hatchet man,” Addra enthused.