Workers’ Strike: Niger government refunds 40 percent to Civil Servants

Niger State government in North Central Nigeria has agreed to pay 40percent outstanding salaries for its Civil Servants presently on indefinite strike action.

The decision to pay the outstanding salaries was reached in an agreement with members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the state government’s officials.

Civil Servants in the State embarked on indefinite strike in the state, due to slashing of November salaries by the state government due to low allocation from the federal government.

The Deputy Governor Ahmed Mohammed Ketso, who presided over the meeting appreciated members of the union for having a fruitful negotiation with the government.

The Commissioner for information in the State, Mohammed Sani Idris said part payment of salary of the civil servants was not deliberate as he explained that the dwindling economy impacted on the FAC and state IGR caused by the effect of Covid -19.

“The State government is passionate about the welfare and wellbeing of its workforce hence the implementation of 30% minimum wage, consequential salary adjustment, new pension scale and Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS),” Mr Idris said.

While briefing the press on the financial situation of the State, the Niger State Commissioner for finance Zakari Abubakar said the state received N4.41b from federation allocation last month while the state wage bill is N3.1 billion, N485m for pension payment and over N500m for contractual obligations.

The Commissioner disclosed that a reform is on-going in the state revenue board to holistically improve its revenue base Internal Generated Revenue IGR to complement Federal Allocation that has dwindled.

He explained that the state IGR has nothing to write home about noting that it has further dwindled with the impact of Covid -19 from between N600million to N500 million to current N400 million due to tax relief for tax payer.

He said the on-going reform have captured manpower, infrastructure, IT and reform laws for sufficient IGR while commending the state assembly for passing in to law a consolidated revenue and its codes that would be helpful in improving the revenue drive of Niger state.

Lateefah Ibrahim