Report by ALIYU LAWAL; Editing by BASIRAT MEMUDU
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago has restated his commitment towards enhancing the welfare of workers in the state to make life comfortable for them.
The Governor stated this in his speech to mark this year’s Workers Day celebration in Minna.
Mohammed Umar Bago acknowledged the sacrifices of all categories of workers in the State and appreciated them for their perseverance and faith in his administration.
The Governor specifically thanked the entire teachers in the State for their efforts in impacting positive knowledge on younger generations.
He promised to continue to work with the organized labour, to ensure the payment of gratuity to retired workers and however enjoined them to sustain their cooperation and understanding as the State Secretariat is undergoing reconstruction to ensure a conducive working environment for workers.
He also announced that modalities are been put in place to provide cars and houses for civil servants at subsidized prices, which he said would make their lives more comfortable.
Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress NLC, Niger State Council, Comrade Idris Abdulkareem Lafene represented by the Trade Union Congress TUC State Chairman, Ibrahim Gana described workers as the backbone of any society.
He commended the efforts of the Governor under whose leadership workers witnessed unprecedented strides in workers welfare such as the implementation of N80,000 Niger State minimum wage and payment of wage award to State and Local Government workers, resumption of gratuity payments, distribution of food palliatives, and the settlement of the 2019 Annual Leave Grant for state workers among others.
He said, Organised Labour has unanimously agreed to confer the prestigious Workers Hero Award on the Governor as a tribute to his historic achievements and a clarion call to other public office holders even as he urged that solutions should be proffered to some underlining challenges faced by civil servants in the State.
Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa who congratulated the Workers, called for more support to the Governor while saying that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly are working towards relieving civil servants from paying more taxes.
The Speaker, Niger State House Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkin Daji, who was represented by a Member representing Bosso, Abubakar Gomna, assured the assembly’s support for the civil servants in the state and commended the Governor for the recent recruitment of youths into the Niger State Civil Service.