THE Katsina State Government has approved the N70,000 new minimum wage and on Friday inaugurated a 15-member committee to advise the government on important strategies and modalities to implement the new minimum wage with consequential adjustments applied to workers in both the state and local governments.
The committee, which is to be headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Abdullahi Faskari, was tasked with completing the assignment and submitting its report within three weeks.
This move, according to the State Commissioner of Information and Culture, Bala Salisu Zango, is a step towards improving the standard of living for workers and ensuring that they are fairly compensated for their work.
The State Deputy Governor, Farouk Lawal, while inaugurating the committee at his official residence in the state capital, announced that the government is aware of hardships faced by workers in the state following the removal of fuel subsidy and other policies.
He, therefore, reaffirmed the commitment of the state government to ensuring workers’ welfare by implementing the new minimum wage.
Members of the committee include the head of the civil service of the state, Falalu Bawale; the Commissioner of Finance; the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning; the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; S.A. to the Governor on Labour Matters; Accountant General of the State; Auditor General for the state; Auditor General for Local Governments as well as the State ALGON Chairman.
Other members of the committee include the chairman of the Board of Internal Revenue, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); the State Chairman of TUC; the State President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), and the Permanent Secretary, Department of Establishment, Pension and Training to serve as Secretary of the committee.
Responding on behalf of other members of the committee, the Chairman of the Committee and Secretary to the State Government, Faskari, assured the state government, that the committee will come up with a workable modality that is sustainable to both the state and workers.
He therefore expressed appreciation to the state Governor, Dikko Radda for the confidence bestowed on the committee members.
