Niger State Government has appealed to state chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress-NLC to reconsider it’s stance over planned strike arising from government’s proclamation to pay fifty percent salaries of Civil Servants for the month of November and December.
Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Idris made the appeal while addressing Newsmen in Minna.
Alhaji Mohammed Sani Idris explained that the planned deferment of one hundred percent salaries of Civil Servants for months November and December by Niger state government followed dwindling resources due to short fall in Federation Account and Internally Generated Revenue occasioned by CoronaVirus pandemic.
He reminded labour leaders that the problem is not only peculiar to Niger State alone but a general phenomenon that has affected thirty six states of Nigeria and Abuja.
Alhaji Mohammed Sani Idris explained that Niger state government received four point two billion naira from Federation Account for this month as against the over five billion naira in which salaries and salary related matters alone gulfed two point nine billion naira.
On pension matters, he said about five hundred million naira had been earmarked for that along with Contributory Pension Scheme of two hundred and ten million naira.
The Niger State Commissioner of Information and Strategy also said most ministries Departments and Agencies in the State have forfeited their overhead cost to enable government meet it’s other obligations.
According to him, though Niger state government will not lower it’s momentum in discharging it’s responsibilities to the best of it’s ability but it cannot compromise on issue of security that would guarantee peace and economic prosperity.
Alhaji Mohammed Sani Idris who said that most of Niger state government projects were on bond would also wants labour to come to term with the government to see things in their clearer perspective.
Radio Nigeria Correspondent in Minna reports that though the meeting between Niger state government and labour over the proposed payment of fifty percent salaries for November and December ended in a deadlock with threat of strike action by labour, there are still avenues for further dialogue.
Aliu Lawal