By Mustapha Muhammad
Light emerges when the darken days diminished, like the sun breaking through the cloud cover after the storm, that’s how Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, the Kano State Governor has rekindled the workers’ hope after their hopes were dashed.
Yes, it is true there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Before the administration of Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, workers in the state were uncertain about the amount of the salaries and wages to receive due to cuts, not sure if the monthly salary would be paid in full, creating fear and destroying plans of the workers and discomforting them.
Sometimes the salary and wages payment jumped to another month; causing despair among the workforce, who are the driven force and engine room of the government, but were left waiting with bated breath.
The conducive atmospheric condition then, was very poor, some offices look like ghost, bad smell oozes out to welcome any visitor, for the workers they did not feel the smell much; because it becomes part of daily life, hence adapt and lived with it.
I am trying to paint a picture on how the workers had endured all these challenges before the administration of Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf came on board. Readers please, wait a little patient, I will now dive in, to inform you how his administration (Abba K. Yusuf) now aggressively rolling back these problems gradually, changing lives of the workers for the better; rekindling their hopes.
During the electioneering campaigns, back in 2023, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, in his Blueprint had promised to take welfare of workers very crucial and improved their lives and providing atmosphere conducive for work is another priority.
Let me begin with salaries and wages, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration has tackled the problem of cutting salary from the onset of his government. Workers are now comfortable assured of what they get every month as their salaries.
The delay of monthly salary and wages payment is now a history, every worker gets his salary as and when due. I can beat my chest to say that every 25th of the month workers began to receive alerts of their payment depending on the bank a worker used. At least, workers are happy and can plan ahead; knowing fully well that they will get their payment on that particular window.
People would be wondering how this feat was achieved within a very shortest possible time. The governor has changed the system of payroll; shifting the responsibility to the Ministry of finance under the Accountant General, repositioned the Computer Centre and strengthening the Committee on payroll, increased the effectiveness of authentication before is being approved.
The Computer Centre meticulously processes all salaries and wages before forwarding them to the e-payment unit, ensuring accuracy through thorough scrutiny and proper approvals. The strategic reposting of staff has further strengthened the workflow, allowing the Centre and all departments involved to access the tools and support needed to deliver results with renewed efficiency.
With the unwavering commitment of His Excellency, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, the system continues to receive the backing required to function optimally. As a result, dedicated staff work tirelessly, day and night, to ensure workers across the State receive their payments promptly. This brief insight captures how the present administration has transformed the narrative, putting an end to the recurring delays in monthly salary payments.
Moreover, this administration inherited a massive backlog of stalled promotions, almost like water left stagnant in a pond. Today, however, the government has not only approved these long-awaited promotions but is also paying the associated benefits promptly and decisively. This renewed commitment has rekindled hope among workers and created a more conducive, motivating environment for effective service delivery. Many employees can now confidently attest that this lingering challenge is finally being addressed.
Minimum wage implemention by his Excellency Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, of seventy-One Thousand Naira (N71, 000) from thirty thousand six hundred naira (N30,600) has been a morale boost to the teeming workers in the state. Similarly, pension wage was also being increased from five thousand naira (N5,000) to twenty thousand naira (N20,000).
It is also pertinent to note that during the implementation of the minimum wage increase, some lower-earning workers were required to upgrade their bank accounts. This became necessary because their previous account categories could not receive the newly increased salary amounts.
Gratuities backlog that this administration inherited are over fourty eight billion (N48,000,000,000) dashing hope for those that served their motherland for decades but now his Excellency Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has graciously settling this huge amount to the teeming pensioners; more than half of the amount has been paid. This revitalizes the lifeline of the retirees, rekindling more hope and enjoy their entitlements which were denied in the past.
Furthermore, the former councilors severance packages, entitlements who had worked with his fiercest opposition running into billions are being settling gradually. The money over fifteen billion are being paid in batches, now the remaining payment will be paid imminently, bringing more hope to their lives and future.
It is very important to note that despite all these moneys backlog inherited running into over 60-billion-naira, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration pays monthly salary as what when due over 9 billion naira for the state alone every month.
When you cumulatively add state and local governments including Judiciary the state dole out over 20 billion naira monthly as salaries. With this huge spending but still Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf’s government has been working in all sectors changing the lives for the better. This, though, is another chapter.
After the entitlements of workers are being catered for; talking about salary payments as at when due, promotions effectiveness, gratuities and death benefits payments, etc., what next is the conducive atmosphere for the work.
Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration has begun massive renovations of offices in the various Ministries uplifting their standard and rolling back the challenges of the offices. Though, the work is enormous but it has taken up gradually and will surely reach everywhere.
It is no doubt, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, the Executive Governor of Kano State, rekindles workers’ hope and foster conducive working atmosphere.
Mustapha Muhammad, is the Chief Press Secretary to the Kano State Governor Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, write from Ancient City of Kano.