Workers Day: Zulum appreciates Borno workers, pledges continuous relationship

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno state has distance himself from the non payment of backlog of pensions, leave grants, gratuities and outstanding salaries of workers in Borno state.

He also appreciated workers efforts and contributions while noting that Borno workers needed to be encouraged to put in their best efforts as well rededicate themselves on hardwork.

The governor stated this on.Sunday during the 1st May 2022 Workers Day celebration held at El Kanemi Warriors Sports Center Maiduguri under tight security due to security challenges r recently bedeviling the state following renewed heavy sound from rocket launchers and gunshots for hours from the outskirts of the state capital, Maiduguri.

Represented by the Chief of Staff to the Governor (COS), Professor Isa Matte Hussaini, he said organized labour union has changed and justified it’s leadership appropriately in the state .

According to him, the 10 point agenda of his administration also include good governance, transparency and accountability while stressing that, “civil servants are friends and partners in progress and development. They are friends not enemies. Government also consider workers as friends not enemies.”

“Pensions are paid to the retirees worth N12 billion. Government has released enough money to clear all backlog of the pensioners n the state from 2018 to 2021 as all the outstanding pensions have been paid and settled.”, Zulum said.

“Issues of outstanding promotional benefits, leave grants and gratuities were discussed with the labour leaders and government officials bit due to paucity of funds , only leave grants were paid last year while plans are underway for full payment of the promotion benefits this year 2022.

“So, nobody should or supposed to put blame of the present state government of Governor Zulum for the backlogs. What were the last leaders doing that they did not pay the pensioners. Why the workers did not blame them rather they are now blaming me despite the efforts and commitment I made to improve on the situation,” Zulum added.

The governor further explained that his administration has made conserved efforts maintain and pay regular salary monthly and promptly. However, we are doing our best to create a conducive and an enabling working environment for the workers.

Zulum disclosed that the state government in this line, renovated and furnished offices at the state Secretariat which was built 40 years ago apart from engaging workers in training and retraining programmes within and outside the state worth hundreds of millions of naira.

He however assured continuous peaceful working relationship with the organized labour union while urging all the workers to rededicate themselves to service/duty to justify their regular pay monthly.

The governor further pledged speedy development of the state despite the challenges the state government is battling with in the post insurgency rebuilding process where visually all public and private infrastructures were destroyed and decayed .

The Borno State NLC Chairman, Comrade Yusuf Inuwa in his remarks, appreciated Governor Zulum for his dedication, commitment and fulfilment of pledges he made on most labour matters especially, the prompt payment of monthly salary of workers in the state unlike other state governors who owe their workers over six months salaries.

He also commended the state government prompt intervention on payment of pensions backlog of retirees and payment of leave grants backlog among others while appealing for the payment of workers promotion benefits and other entitlements.

Reading the NLC and TUC message titled,” Labour, Politics and the Quest for Good Governance and Development in Nigeria”, on the workers day on behalf of both the National President, NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and Comrade Quadri Olaleye, National President TUC in commentation of the 2022 May Day,.

Comrade Yusuf Inuwa noted that the prevailing unfair unjust industrial practices against workers in our country and the deterioration in the standard of living are all products of political decisions of political leaders by commissions and omissions .

He also stressed that, the consequences resulted in mass retrenchment, indecent wages and pensions, hyper inflation, , spiral wave unemployment, abject poverty, , weak social protection cover, especially, the collapse of quality education, affordable health care and robust physical security.

The organized labour union and TUC warned further that workers in Nigeria can no longer allow the political class okay with their welfare of the workers and the destiny of the country while blaming the government and politicians instead of dealing with the issues of physical security , social protection , decent wages, unemployment, and poverty eradication , fixing the economy,.

“The politicians are more interested in zoning of political offices and threatening the peace of our country which is already greatly imperilled. Clearly, it is a failed political class that would wish to keep the masses, wonders and the daily socio economic struggles we faced as footnotes in the 2023 political agenda,” he said.

Special Guest Speaker, Dr. Alhaji Musa Liman of Mass Communication department university of Maiduguri in his paper titled “, labour, politics and the quest for good governance and development in Nigeria with emphasis on emerging issues of workers welfare and the way forward despite the historical background of the organized labour union nationally and internationally.

The Borno state Head of Service, Barrister Simon Malgwi thanked the labour union and TUC for their cooperation and understanding with the state government while appealing to the workers to continue to appreciate the efforts of the state government in tackling workers welfare and improve in the situation, a positioning blame on the backlog to last administrations.

He assured that all labour maters and issues will be addressed this year as things improve on the side of the state government in terms of welfare of workers who parents in progress and bedrock of every administration.