Workers of the Kano State Water Board have embarked on an indefinite strike to demand the implementation of the new minimum wage of N70,000, which they claim other parastatal workers in the state have already received.
Chairman of the workers’ union, Malam Najib Abdussalam, expressed disappointment over the failure to fulfil an agreement with the board’s managing director, Engineer Ahmad Garba Bichi, to effect the new wage before December. Workers were instead paid the old minimum wage.
Najib noted that although the water board is a revenue-generating agency, the government should provide interim support to meet the wage demand before reviewing water tariffs.
Engineer Bichi confirmed the strike, stating that payment of the new minimum wage would only be possible after a tariff review.
Meanwhile, the workers have shut down the Challawa Water Treatment Plant, and the Tamburawa plant is undergoing major repairs, raising fears of severe water shortages.
Water vendors are already selling 25-litre jerry cans at N100 or more, depending on the location.
A resident, Mustapha Isa, called for increased budgetary allocation for water supply, citing inadequacies in the 2025 budget for this purpose.
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