There is dignity in labour, goes the popular saying. Therefore, energy invested in production, however insignificant mustn’t go unrewarded.
Civil servants in Nigeria irrespective of tiers of government that engage them are entitled to their wages. Needless stressing that, agreed wages must be paid as when due. Zamfara state has faithfully kept to this sacrosanct mandate amidst peculiar economic challenges facing the state.
Zamfara State labour union led by its chairman, Comrade Bashir Marafa on September 11, embarked on an indefinite strike to protest against what they described as the failure of the government to meet their several demands.
Perhaps, the strike may have been partially called off, but the demands remain perturbed. Such demands according to the union, include implementation of N18,000 minimum wage for local government and primary school staff; payment of promotion and annual increment for workers; increment for pensioners; as well as payment of gratuity for retired workers.
Prior to the declaration of the strike, the state government had appealed to the workers to be patient as it was trying to offset the bank loan obtained to pay the previous salaries , including promise to work out the necessary modalities to offsetting the outstanding arrears.
While this was being worked on, the states’ civil servants downed tools. The action elicited rash reactions from discerning minds. While they are not against strike per say, they faulted the timing. To this particular school of thought, proceeding on industrial action when government was doing all it could to pay the workers was one action that was ill timed. They posit that, though workers deserve their wages, the action of the union was orchestrated by ulterior motive.
In comparison with some states in the federation, the state civil servants have been so lucky to having leaders that put the interest of the state above selves and this is why Zamfara, being one of the states created in 1996, is developing far beyond its contemporaries despite the meager resources it receives from federation account.
Needless restating that from 2014, the revenue flow from the federation dropped drastically, a development that affected many states including Zamfara to the point that many started owing workers salaries. Owing workers salaries was not synonymous with Zamfara alone but including those states that earn higher revenue than Zamfara.
Apart from being one of the states with lowest monthly allocation from federation account, Zamfara state is also one of the worst hit by the current insecurity in the country. While other states in the North-East have received national and international supports to rid them of the insecurity challenges, Zamfara State government has been draining its meager resources to curtail the insecurity and make the state conducive for investors without the support from outside, aside the military presence.
The state government is currently battling the activities of armed bandits and cattle rustlers. While state civil servants have legitimate cause to press home for improved welfare, they mustn’t lose the sight that Governor Yari is a listening chief executive that will not sacrifice welfare of civil servants for anything. This is why the civil servants should at least show some leniency towards the efforts of Governor Abdul-Aziz Yari’s led administration in Zamfara state.
In terms of allocation comparison states like Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Delta, and Imo amongst others that receive higher allocation couple with their high Internally Generated Revenue also owed workers salaries indicating that the situation is not peculiar to Zamfara state. In most of these aforementioned states, the workers did not shutdown the state in the name of protest rather they go into dialogue and negotiation with the government to proffer solution on how the issue could be resolved.
To sustain work in progress which his Excellency is currently doing in Zamfara state, the leadership of NLC must be a partner in the journey of transforming the state. Rather than shutting down the state with strike, they could come up with suggestions that will help the government to pay the arrears of workers’ salaries without encumbrance.
Governor Yari is passionate about his people and has continued to ensure that the workers get their salaries without hitches if not for the current economic challenges.
The governor, in an effort to rid the state civil service of ghost and fake workers who have been feeding fat on the coffers of the state, had in April 2012, constituted a verification committee chaired by Ahmed Abubakar to determine the authentic workforce under the payroll of the government. That committee, at the end of its verification, uncovered more than 7,000 ghost and redundant workers on the government’s payroll. This was part of the effort of the government to implement the N18,000 minimum wage being clamoured by the state NLC.
After a thorough audit of the workforce in the stage, the Abubakar led committee discovered that out of the 28,183 workers being paid salaries, only 21,067 were genuinely working for the state government. This is quite commendable.
Perhaps, Yari is indeed, an administrator with high repute and integrity who brought his wealth of experience, exposure and wisdom to bear on his performance in Zamfara State.
He has continuous to ensure that the common man benefits from dividends of democracy. The governor has initiated and completed meaningful and people-oriented programmes and projects in all the local governments in the state. Buoyed by a vision to better the lives of his people and make them enjoy the dividends of democracy to the fullest, the positive attitude with which the governor approaches governance speaks volumes of a man who strongly believes in result.
This is so because Yari, who gladly inherited former Governor Ahmed Sani’s previous Zamfara Comprehensive Agricultural Revolution Program (ZACAREP), has turned Zamfara State into a true ‘Jewel in the North West’ in terms of unprecedented massive production of rice and other grains.
Yari‘s revolutionary blue print is the facilitation and utilisation of Zamfara economic growth, poverty alleviation and job creation. This wonderful window of opportunity has led to training of 5,000 farmers on rice and cotton value chain.
His leadership qualities show how a focused and principled leader can cause a positive turn around in his sphere of influence.
He is driven by the philosophy of selfless service and the people of the state should, irrespective of political divides, accord him the needed support to accomplish the good work he has started over six years ago.
Ahmed M. Rabiu Gusau sent this piece from Talatan Mafara Polytechnic , Zamfara State.
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