In a shocking turn of event, Governors from the North West geopolitical zone were absent on Thursday at the venue of the ongoing public hearing on the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage held at the Coronation Hall, Government House, Kano.
All the governors from the zone, except two who sent representatives, including the host, were absent at the hearing.
The Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, sent a representative, while Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State had his deputy, Abdulssalam Gwarzo, in attendance.
In his opening address, Gwarzo commended President Bola Tinubu for setting up the committee to come up with a new minimum wage for the workers in the country.
He assured that the state will commit itself to the implementation of the new minimum wage when it becomes effective.
The deputy governor also reaffirmed the commitment of the government to the welfare of state civil servants through the prompt payment of salaries.
According to him, pensioners in the state now have renewed hope as the state government recently paid N6 billion to them as part of measures to alleviate their sufferings.
Gwarzo expressed the hope that the public hearing would yield useful inputs that the government could implement for the betterment of Nigerian workers.
On his part, the Katsina State Governor, represented by the Commissioner of Information, Dr. Bala Zango, assured that his administration will abide by the outcome of the meeting.
He said: “Whatever the outcome, the Katsina State Government will abide by it as the government is committed to the welfare of its workers.”
Zango stated further that the state government had recently paid N5 billion as death benefits to workers in addition to disbursing N700 million as refurbishing loans to the state workers.
“Katsina State Government has a good working relationship with the workers as we have been paying salaries and other allowances as and when due,” he added.
The Commissioner also commended President Tinubu for constituting the committees despite the current economic situation in the country, saying it was a clear indication that he was concerned about the welfare of workers.
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Also speaking, the Chairman of the North West Public Hearing, Dr. Ahmed Rabiu, urged all participants to express their views openly, share their experiences, and provide constructive suggestions.
Rabiu stated: “Your input is valuable in shaping policies that will not only impact the livelihoods of our citizens but also contribute to the overall economic growth and social well-being of our nation.”
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