By Femi Bolaji

Governor of Nasarawa state Umaru Tanko Almakura has released the sum of N115,000,000 to state workers who were beneficiaries of the 500 housing unit in Doma for them to carry out renovation work.

Umaru Al-Makura

The state number one citizen made this known while delivering a speech at the annual commemoration of Workers day in Lafia organised by the state chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress.

Governor Almakura said his administration which is “concerned by the housing needs of our civil servants promptly completed the 500 Housing Units at Doma road which provided accommodation for deserving workers.”

He added that “We have also released the sum of One Hundred and Fifteen Million Naira (N115,000,000.00) to the beneficiaries which enabled them to carryout renovation works on the houses which ensured early habitation.”

He maintained that the government is also considering the possibility of allocating other Government structures to civil servants on owner-occupier basis as a means of
easing accommodation problems among civil servants in the state.

He reiterated the state government’s priority of workers welfare in the state and stated that the government has engaged stakeholders at the Local Government administration to devise ways of putting an end to the percentage salary payment for local government staff.

In the same vein Almakura also noted that the sum of N200 million has been released for the payment of the gratuities to local government retirees.

Moreover he assured of governments continuous support to the activities of NLC in the state, adding that his administration will continue to ensure that industrial issues are resolved at a roundtable so as to strengthen the state government’s relationship with the labour union as a panacea for efficient and effective service delivery for the overall welfare of workers in the State.

He also donated a 36 seater bus to the state chapter of NLC and promised the renovation of Labour house as a benevolence of the state government to Labour Union in the state.

Labour Union tasks Almakura on 100% salary payment for workers

Labour unions under the umbrella of Nigeria Labour congress in Nasarawa state has advocated for the full payment of workers salary both at the state and local government level.

The union also made a passionate appeal to the state government to reconsider its stance on ‘no work no pay’ and release its salaries arrears to the affected workers.

The position of the union was made known by the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress in Nasarawa state Com. Abdullahi Adeka during the commemoration of workers day in Lafia, capital of Nasarawa state.

He said “we have witnessed serious deterioration in the administration of pension in the state, cases of workers leaving service and having to wait up to a year for their pension issues to be processed.

” Union are calling on the state government to pay 100,% monthly pension to all pensioners. Sustainability of monthly payment of gratuities to pensioners as pronounced by his excellency in January, 2018. Payment of 100% monthly salary to local government workers” ’he added.

The union also made a passionate plea for the allocation of houses at Abdullahi Adamu housing estate to the occupants at owner’s occupier basis.

In the same vein the union urged the state government to direct the payment of August 2016 salary and that of May, June, July 2017 to all affected workers.

The union through its state chairman Abdullahi Adeka moreover implored the state government to ensure the implementation of the new national minimum wage if it is successfully implemented at the national level.

He said “we will recall that NLC had submitted a written demand for N66,500 new minimum wage even before the increase in fuel price which had triggered huge increase in cost of transportation and cost of most consumer items and services.

“I hereby plead to comrade governor umaru Tanko Almakura on behalf of the entire working class in Nasarawa state that one of the things that was expected to come out of the report of the tripartite committee to negotiate a new national minimum wage if implemented at the national level, should also be implemented in Nasarawa state”, he added.