By Rosemary Ameh, Sokoto
Sokoto State council of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has dismissed a claim attributed to tNational President of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Ali Haruna Kankara, who reportedly listed Sokoto among states yet to implement the new wage of N70,000 monthly.
NLC Chairman in the state, Aliyu Abdullahi Jangale, alongside the state NULGE counterpart, Ibrahim Abubakar Giro, described the report as “misleading and completely untrue.”
Speaking at a joint press conference held in Sokoto on Wednesday, April 9, both labour leaders strongly refuted a report that the North-West state had not implemented the new wage regime.
Rather, they said, Sokoto is one of the first States in the country to fully implement the minimum wage since January this year.
According to the labour leaders, “Workers across all levels: State, Local government, and LGEAs are already receiving the new wage.”
Jangale expressed disappointment over what he described as the misinformation from the national leadership, urging labour leaders to verify facts before making public statements.
“It’s disheartening to see such a claim coming from our national president. We expected better,” he added.
The NLC Chairman, however, lauded State Governor Ahmed Aliyu, describing him as “the most worker-friendly Governor in Nigeria,” citing the administration’s consistency in prioritizing workers’ welfare.
According to him, beyond implementing the new wage, the State government has taken steps to clean up the payroll system and ensure transparency.
“We were part of the verification committee that fished out ghost workers. This was a key part of preparations before rolling out the new salary structure,” he explained.
Labour also commended the State Government for clearing a backlog of gratuities and pensions running into billions of Naira, restoring cash allocations to government agencies, and ensuring prompt payment of salaries.
“Governor Ahmed Aliyu didn’t just comply with President Tinubu’s directive, he led the way. And we’re proud of that,” Jangale emphasized.
The labour leaders further reassured workers that their rights remained a top priority, while also calling on the media to always verify reports that concern the welfare of the citizenry.
