Hunger, Scarcity And Total Hardship Pervades Nasarawa As Al-Makura Sets Up Another Committee Over Fifty Percent Salary Cut

Rabiu Omaku

Hunger, scarcity, stagnation and deprivation are now on the increase in Nasarawa State, as there is no certainty in the payment of workers’ salaries. People in the state are now leaving at the mercy of God as workers and their dependents who constitute sixty (60%) of the state are roaming the street begging for alms to keep body and soul.

Markets in the state have become a shadow of its own, as they are no longer booming due to the nonpayment of workers at both state and local government level while members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers’ are placed on “NO WORK, NO PAY”.

The consequences of the prolonged strike are enormous and are listed below;

1.Pupils in public schools did not sit for common entrance, this have a serious consequences on the education of the younger generation in the state.

2.Public secondary school students in the state may perform badly as there is no end in sight to the ongoing strike.

3.The state records intermittent death due to not being able to access private health facilities due the closure of general hospitals and Primary Healthcare which was under the local government councils.

4.School fees were not paid by parents of wards that were enrolled in private schools.

5.There will be geometric increase on the number of private secondary, primary and nursery schools in the state.

6.Hunger, famine, stagnation and deprivation on the increase as there is no certainty in the payment of workers’ salaries.

7.There has been confidence lost between the subordinates and the governance, this ensued following the recent revelation by the organized labour on the salary cut of the state governor,his deputy and political appointees as the cut in the governors salary was 8.6% as against the 50% the governor Al-Makura announces.

8.Government businesses were grounded to a halt

9.Colossal amount of money were lost as Internally Generated Revenue

10.Huge amount of tax-payers money are wasted on kangaroo and mushroom committees which will not come out with a fruitful result.

11.Time is wasted on frivolous committees on organized labour/state government impasse.

12.There has been an increase on crime rate as vast of the population are idle

13.A lots of damages are committed and top government secrets been revealed to the general public

14.Besides the N200m security vote, additional amount of money mounted to N37,641,240.00m were allocated to security agents, see the amount below

Police monthly imprest-N9,179,340.00

Monthly imprest to Operation Flush Out 2-N9,841,900.00

DSS–N3,000,000.00

NSCDC—N500,000.00

Mounted troop—N100,000.00

Monthly allowances to NAYES from the SSG’s office–N15,000,000.00.

The twenty two man committee set up by the Nasarawa state government to find a lasting solution to the unabated two months rift over fifty percent salary cut may not yield any positive result just like the recent committee on the downward review of salary.

The organized labour in the state accused the committee for smuggling the report of the committee which was in favor of the state government, the given that no meaningful issues would be discussed reasons may not be farfetched from the mindset of the chief executive who sees workers monthly wage as a privilege not their right.

Despite the involvement of the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) and the minister of labour and productivity in the lingering impasses the state governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura’s rigid policy remain unchanged.

It could be recalled that the Nigeria Labour Congress shun her nationwide mass and peaceful protest protesting the fifty percent salary cut in line with the advisory role played by NHRC.

The state governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura flouted the advisory role of the National Human Right Commission to reverse to the statusquo by paying hundred percent salaries.

For umpteenth times since the organized labour in the state are at loggerhead with the chief executive, the state governor is yet to have a roundtable discussion with the organized labour to end the lingering crisis that paralyzed the entire state.

The twenty two man committee comprises of

1.The Deputy governor, Silas Ali Agara as chairman

2.Head of service

3.Chief of staff

4.Commissioner Justice

5.Commissioner Local Govt

6.Commissioner Finance

7.Commissioner Budget and Planning

8.Permanent secretary Justice

9.Permanent secretary budget and planning

10.Permanent secretary Govt House

11.Permanent secretary Establishment

12.Permanent secretary Salary

13.Accountant General

14.S.A Labour

15.S.A Nasarawa Development Platform

16.SSA banking

17.SSA media and Strategy

18.NLC Chairman

19.NLC Secretary

20.TUC Chairman

21.TUC Secretary

22.Chairman JPSHC

23.Secretary JPSHC

24.Chairman Joint Tertiary Institutions

25.NLC Spokesperson

26.Ex-official Tuc

27.PRO Jusun

28.Chairman NMA

The nagging question that needed urgent answer is this; will the backlog of workers salary be paid before the outcome of the latest committee which its assignment will take two months to complete? The state Deputy Governor, Silas Ali Agara could not be reached for comment at press time while telephone calls made to the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress were rejected by the chairman, Abdullahi Adeka. The committee was given eight weeks to submit it report, only time shall tell.