Recently, the Gombe State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), embarked on a warning strike to protest the state government’s refusal to implement the new minimum wage across board. In this interview with BLESSING UKEMENA, Abubakar Sadiq, the spokesman of the Gombe Youth Development Association says the NLC should be patient with the new state government.
Recently, the Gombe Chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) embarked on a warning strike. What was their grievance?
It is related to this minimum wage. You see, initially, the state government agreed that it would pay the N18, 000 minimum wage, as passed by the law, which stipulates that from Level 1 Step 1 be paid N18,000.
Now, the state government has said it would only pay up to Level 9 and that the other levels would graduate into a 30 per cent increase.
As an association, we are calling on labour to consider that the government of Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo has the zeal, ability and has shown commitment to the civil servants in the state. In the light of this, we are pleading with them to call off the strike.
Why do you think so?
Look, on assumption of office, Dankwambo constituted 11 committees , and of the? lot, he gave priority to the civil service committee. Now, this committee (on civil service) has provided a blue print for the state civil service, because before this time, the civil service was in a deplorable state, a state in which everything was politicised: there were 43 permanent secretaries and 23 of them were redundant, without offices. It was commonplace to see a local government having about 20 permanent secretaries, while many others had none. This blue print will be forwarded to the commissioners when they are appointed, so that they all can have a point of focus. When this is done, the governor can hold them responsible for any inactivity or lack of progression.
Some people say the strike embarked upon by the NLC in the state is a political gimmick sponsored by the opposition in the state. How true is this?
I am aware of two things: the labour union is non-partisan. Secondly, I know they are working to better the lot of the common man.
So what effort is the Gombe State government making towards appeasing the NLC in the state?
First, a press statement has been released and in that statement, the state government promised to pay the minimum wage up to Level 9. Others will only get a 30 per cent increase. Actually, labour is doing this for the good of the common man, and as you are aware, the Kwara State Government did the same thing (paying the approved wage to Levels 1-9). Labour agreed with them and things are going well there. We want the same position to be adopted in Gombe State.
In Nigeria, Gombe was the fourth state to agree that it would pay the minimum wage. For this reason alone, labour should give the young state government the opportunity to consolidate. If he does not meet their demands now, there is still time. They don’t have to be so adamant, they should sympathise with the state government. We have to be honest; labour in Gombe is adamant and insensitive.
The Gombe State Government has spent 100 days in office. What is your assessment of the government’s performance so far?
So far, I can only give him kudos. In 100 days, he has done well. But he can do better. He has done what no other governor has done for this state. He revived the state’s tractor hiring department, which had lain fallow for 13 years, by purchasing 60 tractors for farmers in the state. They had always needed that, as an agrarian state, but it took 13 years.
He also provided 20 tonnes of fertilisers for the farmers at the beginning of the farming season and earmarked N1b to boost small and medium scale businesses in the state.
He also flagged off the construction of 20 roads in the state, just before the commencement of the Rammadan. He is committed.
Presently, the state is free of the Kalari youths’ menace. Before this time, it was impossible to sleep in Gombe State without the Kalari youths wreaking havoc and causing unrest. Everyone slept with an eye open. All that is history now.
He has launched an employment-generating scheme, like the poultry production unit (which lay waste for more than 20 years), which will employ not more than 500 people. Not less than a million eggs are expected over certain periods when it gets running.
All I am saying is, if you can read his body language, you can tell that he means well for the state. All I can say to labour is, give the governor the benefit of doubt.
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