Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has affirmed his administration’s adherence to the Minimum Wage Act, stating that no civil servant in the state earns below N70,000.
During the May Day celebrations held at Murtala Square in Kaduna, Governor Sani, a former human rights activist, emphasized his commitment to the dignity of labor, revealing that the lowest-paid worker in the state receives N72,000.
He acknowledged that while the issue of incremental salary adjustments remains unresolved, he is committed to addressing it.
“I have a history of advocating for labor rights,” he stated. “I met with leaders from the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and made it clear that although we comply with the minimum wage, incremental adjustments are discretionary.”
Due to his rapport with both the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Governor Sani expressed the need for discussions to create a formula that would ensure satisfaction among all workers in Kaduna State. He noted that the unions presented three different options for consideration.
Pledging his dedication to this cause, he remarked, “I want to reaffirm that, with God’s grace, we will consider incremental adjustments to benefit all workers, including senior civil servants.”
The Governor also highlighted the enhancement of living conditions for pensioners as a priority for his administration. He disclosed that last month, a sum of N3.8 billion was allocated to settle outstanding gratuities, death benefits, and accrued rights under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
“Since our administration began, we have paid a total of N10.4 billion in gratuities, death benefits, and accrued rights,” Governor Sani noted, expressing satisfaction that the NLC Chairman recognized the inherited challenges his administration faces.
In addition, Governor Sani announced the approval for the recruitment of 1,800 medical staff to bolster the state’s Primary Health Care System and the hiring of 3,000 teachers to improve public school capacity. He mentioned that Kaduna State had recently received an award for being the best subnational in Primary Health Care in Nigeria, crediting the upgrade of 180 of the 255 Primary Health Care centers to Level 2 status.
Addressing the current industrial action by the Kaduna State University (KASU) branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to enhancing the institution. He revealed that over 60% of the university’s courses were unaccredited upon his taking office, prompting an investment of over N300 million to secure accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Governor Sani acknowledged that the lecturers’ demands have built up over 17 years, with previous administrations unable to address liabilities totaling between N5 to N6 billion.
“Despite this, the lecturers expect immediate resolution, but I emphasized the importance of dialogue. I questioned their silence over the past 17 years,” he stated. “We must collaborate to tackle this issue gradually; a problem spanning 17 years cannot be resolved in a day.”
He concluded by assuring that the matter would be addressed, reinforcing the importance of education as a vital equalizer and pledging support for both academic and non-academic staff at KASU.
