N’West govs shun public hearing on minimum wage

Governors from the Northwest Zone were conspicuously absent on Thursday at the Coronation Hall, Government House, Kano, the venue of the ongoing public hearing on the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage.

Our correspondent who covered the event reports that none of the governors attended the programme, as only the Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, sent representation, while the host governor was represented by his deputy, Abdulssalam Gwarzo.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Gwarzo commended President Bola Tinubu for setting up the committee to come up with a new minimum wage for the workers in the country.

He assured that the state will commit itself to the implementation of the new minimum wage when it becomes effective. He restated the commitment of the government to the welfare of state civil servants through the prompt payment of salaries.

He said pensioners in the state now have renewed hope as the state government recently paid N6bn to the pensioners as part of measures to alleviate their sufferings.

He expressed hope that the public hearing would come up with useful inputs that the government could implement for the betterment of Nigerian workers.

In his remarks, the Katsina State Governor, represented by the Commissioner of Information, Dr Bala Zango, said the state government will abide by the outcome of the meeting.

“Whatever the outcome, the Katsina State Government will abide by it as the government is committed to the welfare of its workers,” he said.

He disclosed that the state government had recently paid N5bn as death benefits to workers in addition to disbursing N700m as refurbishing loans to the state workers.

“Katsina State Government has a good working relationship with the workers as we have been paying salaries and other allowances as and when due,” Zango said.

He also applauded President Bola Tinubu for constituting the committees despite the current economic situation in the country, saying it was a clear indication that he was concerned about the welfare of workers.

Also speaking, the chairman of the Northwest Public Hearing, Dr Ahmed Rabiu, urged all participants to express their views openly, share their experiences, and provide constructive suggestions.

“Your input is valuable in shaping policies that will not only impact the livelihoods of our citizens but also contribute to the overall economic growth and social well-being of our nation,” he said.

Earlier today, the public hearing of the Tripartite Committee on the national minimum wage also began in the North Central.