By ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi-
The Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has appointed his Deputy, Baba Tela, to head another committee set up to investigate discrepancies on the payroll in the civil service which has caused some workers from not getting their salaries for months.
This followed a meeting held by the State Government and the organized labour in the State on Monday at the Presidential Lodge of the Bauchi State government.
Addressing journalists at a press conference at the end of the meeting which lasted for several hours, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Ladan Salihu, said that Gov. Mohammed has noted down the grievances from the Labour and was resolute to end the problems associated with salaries which have lingered for many years.
He said that the two parties, after the elongated meeting, also appointed the Secretary to the State Government, Sabiu Baba as the Secretary of the panel.
Other members of the panel include: the Head of Civil Service, Special Adviser to the Governor on Civil Service Affairs, NLC, TUC, NULGE, Joint Negotiating Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, among others.
He said the Committee would scrutinise the issues and return with a report within four weeks with a view to ending the hardship that the legitimate workers are facing in getting their salaries.
“The committee whose time frame is for four weeks, will take a holistic look at all the challenges, constraints, complains and limitations of all issues surrounding the non-payment of salaries”.
“There was never a month that the Governor did not fund workers salaries, the problem is the challenges of managing the payroll and nominal roll”.
“Salaries are being paid in the state, but the challenges in the system that exclude some workers, is what created bottlenecks which impinges on integrity of the government,” he stated.
Mr. Salihu said that the government was happy “that the leadership of the unions and the government are on the same page”.
Governor Mohammed had also said that some (legitimate) workers’ salaries were being warehoused pending the time that a standard payroll is formed. The labour had threatened industrial action over this.
Also speaking, the Chairman, NLC, Bauchi State Council Comrade Danjuma Saleh, said that the governor had taken their grievances and they were convinced of the his response.
He said: “As you are aware, we gave an ultimatum of some weeks which will elapse tomorrow (Tuesday), by the virtue of this sitting, almost all those who attended this meeting are highly convinced.
“We are making a good representation for our members, they trust us and we are going to convince them and I have the absolute believe that after making a good consultation with my people, there is a high possibility of this action (strike) to be suspended”.
“Definitely, we enjoyed the sitting. Many of us got educated, especially in some grey areas of the salary payment. The way he responded to the issues, almost all of us are happy”.
“The bone of contention lies on the salary, even though there are issues of LTG, promotion, consequential adjustment and the rest of it. But the most urgent one is the issue of stability of the salary payment.”
“It has come to the notice of everyone, he added, “that some workers have not been getting their salaries for so many months, even though H.E (the Governor) also lamented himself over the issue. We believe that the panel headed by his Deputy will work to put the issues to rest in one month.”
Mr. Saleh said that the NLC may not have to embark on its planned strike because of the state government showed commitment in addressing the challenges of the workers in the state.
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