Labour relations is said to be one of the prerequisites of smooth operations of governments. One cannot differentiate between the civil service and the private sector when it comes to Labour issues. The civil service forms the fulcrum of Labour unionism while the private sector elements are indirectly dependent on government for survival.
Thus, one can unequivocally say that the enabling environment for Labour to operate is courtesy of government’s responsibility to make every citizen earn a living.
As Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje swung into action on his swearing in ceremony on May 29, 2015, Labour unions and the organised private sector heaved a sigh of relief. As a career civil servant and seasoned public administrator, policies geared towards the betterment of their lot were enunciated in his campaign manifesto and speeches.
As a government worker for many years, and flowing from huge experience in public administration, Ganduje stepped in with beautiful ideas that would ginger up the civil service for optimal efficiency.
As a fellow comrade, Ganduje, on assuming office, pledged to give workers their enviable recognition as a catalyst for the successful implementation of government’s policies, projects and programmes, with a clear vision of re-invigorating the civil service to become more efficient and effective in line with international best practices.
With progressive ideas of Governor Ganduje, who has been at the helm of affairs for almost three decades, sustaining workers’ welfare is not a big deal as he pilots the affairs of the most populous state in Nigeria and one of the most complex in many respects.
First, he right-sized the number of ministries in the state without downsizing the bulk of the workforce. He saved government a lot in terms of money for top officials, while encouraging fusion and cohesion between government agencies and departments.
Governor Ganduje went on to repeal the tenure system of directors and permanent secretaries in the state civil service for efficient service delivery. He cleared a lot of backlogs bequeathed to him, such as salaries and allowances of more than 5,500 workers employed by the immediate past administration in the state, despite the economic crunch and recession.
While his peers owe salaries running into several months, Governor Ganduje courageously remains up-to-date by sustaining payment of salaries and allowances to local government members of staff, tertiary institutions, judiciary workers and other civil servants, to the tune of N9.2 billion monthly.
With such excellent credentials in Labour relations, Ganduje’s presence at this year’s Workers Day celebration was like a homecoming for both sides. It was jubilation for thousands of Kano workers at the May 1 festival when the Labour-friendly governor came in, decked in full Labour regalia, something that had not witnessed for years in Kano. The governor and the workers were happy to celebrate the 2017 May Day together.
The governor also withstood the scorching sun to receive parade and greetings from comrades chanting their various slogans.
In tune with this year’s theme of the Workers’ Day, ‘Labour Relations During Economic Recession,” Ganduje reeled out to the Labour unionists, efforts by his administration to guarantee social security of its workers by keeping faith with its obligations.
As the governor rightly mentioned, aside salaries of its workers, the state government has continued to make the ball rolling as Kano is set towards regaining its glory on economic growth and industrialisation.
The more than 5,500 teachers hurriedly employed into the services of the Kano State Teachers Service Board as some sort of political landmines, cost the government a whopping sum of N83 million monthly for their salaries and allowances. Yet Ganduje has not reneged.
To stamp out stagnation in promotion among civil servants from grade level 07 and above, the governor told the gathering that examinations were introduced to promote civil servants and ensure capacity building.
Out of compassion, the governor has ensured the payment of gratuities to deceased workers, with the intention of lifting their families out of the present biting recession in the country. He has also reintroduced the car loan scheme in the state, with over 500 civil servants benefiting from it in April alone.
The Ganduje administration has also spent more than N23 million to Labour unions to fast track their activities.
The state government has also improved on health care delivery. For proactive attention to workers’ welfare, the administration has established a committee to look into the promotion of primary school workers.
To make Labour unions feel at home is the sustenance for the monthly salary allowance and unionisation of many private sector organisations, who were hitherto without unions in the state, and above all, harmonisation of disputes among unions and the government, particularly health unions.
To enhance workers’ performance, he also introduced a pragmatic approach to continued labour education, aimed at enhancing their awareness on current developments.
It is evident that throughout Nigeria, the Governor Ganduje administration has the most harmonious and peaceful relationship with Labour. He also has the most stable relationship with the unions in the recent history of Kano.
When some states are being intermittently shut due to lack of welfare and apathy to workers’ salaries, the engine of service in Kano is being lubricated everyday by an astute public administrator, Dr Ganduje.
Yakasai is the Director-General, Media and Communication, Government House, Kano.
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