Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has presented letters of allocation for government quarters to civil servants on an owner-occupier basis to enable them to access decent accommodation.
Sule who disclosed this at the 2024 Workers’ Day celebration in Lafia, said that he had mandated the State Head of Service (HoS), Barr. Abigail Waya, to facilitate discussions on modalities to obtain loan facility for deserving occupants from the Federal Mortgage Bank.
The governor who was represented by the HOS, Abigail Waya also said that his administration had commissioned and put to use the 300 housing units in Luvu, Masaka in Karu Local Government Area for low-income workers through mortgage financing.
According to him, it was in line with his administration’s policy thrust of continuous provision of decent accommodation to workers in the state.
Sule further stated that his administration was committed to improving quality education, and has so far employed 8,000 teaching and non-teaching staff in secondary and tertiary institutions.
“The employment of teaching and non-teaching staff has facilitated the accreditation of courses in our tertiary institutions.
“Government has just approved the elongation of retirement of teaching staff from the age of 60 to 65 years of age, and 35 to 40 years of service in our primary and secondary schools.
“I, therefore, assure you of our commitment to sustain the existing relationship as a labour-friendly government. The administration will always consult and engage the organised labour on issues concerning the welfare of civil servants in the state.
“This synergy will continue to strengthen the relationship and pave way for round table discussion on labour-related matters,” Sule noted.
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He congratulated workers in the state for joining their counterparts from across the world in commemorating this year’s workers’ day, saying it was an avenue where government and organised labour can foster a relationship for the purpose of upholding the dignity of labour.
Speaking, the state Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress ( NLC) Comrade Ayuba Ismaila Oko, represented by his vice Chairman, Simon Yakubu, appreciated the governor for prioritising the welfare of workers in the state.
Oko noted that the government has trained and re-trained workers, and approved and released government quarters to civil servants in the state on owner-occupier basis among others.
The NLC Chairman, however, called on Governor Sule to grant approval for wage awards for workers in the state, which the Federal Government had already commenced payments to workers.
He, also called on the governor to without further delay grant approval for the financial implication to those that were promoted especially now that the last tranche of the N10,000 palliative has been paid.
“We are calling on the committee on N30,000.00 National Minimum Wage of 2019 under the chairmanship of His Excellency, the Deputy Governor to submit its report which is long overdue to enable for the implementation of consequential adjustment,” he added.
Also, the Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state, Mr Mohammed Umar Doma, thanked Governor Sule for completing, commissioning, and furnishing a befitting state secretariat for TUC.
Doma, however, appealed to the governor to provide the Compressed Natural Gas ( CNG) buses he promised to workers to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal and convey workers to their workplaces.
He also called on the governor to provide a primary health centre that will take care of workers and their families at the 500 housing estates in Lafia for civil servants.
