…Govt. Set To Employ Over 2000 Civil Servants
From Maduabuchi Nmeribeh, Kano
The Head of Service in Kano State, Malam Usman Bala, on Thursday blamed the pension debts in the state to the previous administrations of Senator Ibrahim Shekarau and Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, insisting that Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is doing his best to ensure that pensioners in the state smile again.
Malam Bala, who doubles as the Chief of Staff to the Governor, stated this in Government House, while receiving pensioners who came to submit letters to the Governor, in protest.
According to him, the accumulated pension arrears could be traced to the Government of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso which was inherited by Governor Ganduje.
He recalled that Kwankwaso’s administration invested pension fund into erection of Housing Estates, which he said did not benefit the pensioners, as the houses are currently unoccupied.
“But despite all these negative tendencies, our government now is paying monthly Pension allowances and also tried in paying some gratuity, but one should know that the nation is facing serious cash crunch and Kano is not an exception,” he added.
He further blamed the problem to shortfall in the employment of civil servants, to feel in the vacuum created by those due for retirement, while announcing that Ganduje’s administration is making plans to employ over 2000 Civil servants in the state so as to commensurate remittance into the pension trust fund.
The AUTHORITY reports that pensioners in company of the leadership of Kano state chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) marched in peaceful protest to Government House over unpaid allowances.
The State NLC Chairman, Dr. Kabiru Ado Minjibir, tasked the state government to do everything within its powers to resolve the issue of unpaid allowances to pensioners.
“We also hope that Government would set aside special funds to commence the immediate payment of the unsettled N30.900 Billion funds, and also ensure that the unwarranted cut in thier money immediately stopped.
“Failure to this might result in the Pensioners taking the last option which is legal action, but we know and believes that Governor Ganduje has the people’s interest at heart as can be seen in the monthly payment of pension allowances and salaries by his administration,” he said.
