Headlines
Workers storm Kano Assembly, protesting reclassifying minimum wage
Nasiru Yusuf
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress, (TUC) and Kano Civil Society Forum have on Wednesday stormed Kano state House of Assembly protesting move by National Assembly to remove minimum wage from exclusive to concurrent list.
Kano Focus reports that the unions complain that if this move is granted it will serve as a licence to state governors to drag and return the country back to the era of ridiculous slave wages.
The State NLC Chairman, Kabiru Ado Minjibir led workers to the state house of assembly in compliance to nationwide protest directive and to also seek support of the lawmakers to kick against the move.
Mr Minjibir while handing over the 3 pages letter containing the concerns of the nigerian workers in Kano to the Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Chidari, said the move will throw the nation into industrial crises.
He described as retrogressive the bill moved by Garba Datti Muhammad representing Sabon Gari Federal Constituency of Kaduna State on the floor of the Assembly allegedly sponsored by some few Governors for the transfer of the minimum wage from exclusive legislative list to concurrent legislative list.
According to him, “the transfer of the minimum wage from exclusive legislative list to concurrent legislative list has some implications which we highlighted in the letter.
“It will serve as a license for the State Governors to drag the country back to the era of ridiculous slave wages which in the past has frustrated multifarious industrial crises in different part of the country. Because if minimum wage is left under the armpits of state Governors, I believe, Mr. Speaker will agree with me that there will be indefinite crisis in the whole country.
“It could also lead to exclusion of the private sector, both organized and unorganized from the concept, rational and logical of the national minimum wage, yet it is this informal sector that labour practices take place.
“Mr. Speaker, if the anti-labour bill that seeks to make the nation standstill is presented to your assembly, we appeal to you to kindly refuse to assent to it.
“The protest will be the first instance in a line of industrial action to be undertaken by the labour to drive home our demand that the withdrawal of the new minimum wage from is a fight for our survival and livelihood of millions of Nigerian workers.
“Let me use this opportunity to lend our voice to call on the federal government to grant financial autonomy to state house of Assemblies as promised by the present administration because this fight is not only for ourselves but also fighting for the state house of Assembly so that they would have autonomy.
“We also condemned and rejected in it entirety the move to decentralize Nigerian judiciary through the establishment of state judiciary council. This move is unpatriotic, subservient and an attempt to throw Nigeria into judicial and social chaos. This bill seeks to have judicial council where state Governors will have federal judges at the state level,” Mr Minjibir said.
Responding, the Speaker, Ibrahim Chidari assured the workers of their support to ensure that justice is done to the labour issues brought before the assembly.
Mr Chidari commended the labour leaders for their approach to the government and conduct of their affairs in the state.
Kano state governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has raided a warehouse where over 1,000 bags of maize were distributed by the state government as palliatives were diverted and hoarded.
Kano Focus learned that the governor busted the warehouse, located at the Sharadaan industrial area of Kano City on Saturday.
The governor, was visibly angry after seeing how the 10kg bags of maize meant for poor people were emptied and the maize grains re-bagged in larger unmarked bags, apparently to be sold in the open markets.
It could be recalled that over 200,000 bags of food items had been distributed by Mr Yusuf, a few months ago to vulnerable people to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal by the federal government.
It is understood that Governor Yusuf vowed to uncover and punish the persons behind the diversion and hoarding of the relief materials.
….. Set aside Six Billion for Six 6,000 Beneficiaries
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
In fullfilment of one of the campaign promises as contained in his blueprint, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano state has Saturday flagged-off the first tranche of settlement of death benefits to deceased civil servants and gratuity of pensioners to about six thousand (6,000) beneficiaries who exited from the civil service and deceased workers between 2016 and 2019 totalling billion naira at an elaborate occasion that was held at Coronation Hall Government House.
KANO FOCUS reports that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf said the payment was possible despite meagre resources, inherited empty treasury and competing developmental projects as the government had blocked leakages of public funds siphoning and more viable projects for people of the state.
A statement issued by Chief Press Secretary to the governor Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa quoted Yusuf saying his administration was highly concerned with the plight of pensioners especially those at the lower level as they are the end receipients of the economic hardship occasion by the removal of fuel Subsidy in the country.
The Governor added that to ensure the continuation of the settlement of the backlog, 10 billion naira was propose in the state next year’s budget for more inclusion of gratuity and death benefits of bereaved families of deceaseds civil servants to enjoy their legitimate entitlements.
He made a clarion call to the receivers of the funds, to make judicious use of what they collected and invest wisely in lawful businesses for more incomes to cater for their day to day needs and other necessities of life.
In his submission, the deputy governor and Commissioner for local governments and Chieftaincy affairs, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo appreciated the selection of beneficiaries with not more than 3 million at the state level, 1.5 million at local governments levels all within grade level 1-6.
The Executive Chairman of Kano State Pension Trustees Fund, Alhaji Habu Muhammad Fagge, said the commencement of liquidating the backlog and ensure prompt payment of gratuity and death benefits was a clear indication of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s zeal to better the lives of pensioners and provide succur to the families of deceased civil servants.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano state government has announced that out of the 138,430 tested for HIV, 4,728 have been found to be positive from January 2023 to date.
KANO FOCUS reports that with this figure, it indicates that a total of 46,732 persons are living with the disease and receiving treatment in the state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran, made this known on Friday while delivering a speech at the commemoration of this year’s World AIDS Day in Kano.
He, however, disclosed that the state has improved its strategies to halt mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS by successfully conducting tests for 95 percent of all pregnant women during their first ANC visit, out of which only 0.04 percent are found positive.
He stated, “We have tested a total of 138,430 people for HIV and found 4,728 positive and have successfully initiated new 4,140 HIV-infected persons on ART from January 2023 to date.”
He noted that “Currently, the state has 46,732 people living with HIV receiving treatment.
“We have improved our strategies to halt mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS by successfully conducting HIV testing for 95 percent of all pregnant women during their first ANC visit, out of which only 0.04 percent turned HIV positive,” the Commissioner stated.
Dr. Ladan further explained efforts by the state in managing the situation where he said, for the first time, the state has achieved a state HIV budget target of 3 percent, N2 billion, of the total health budget in the proposed budget submitted to the Kano state Assembly.
The event themed “Let Communities Lead” was in collaboration with the USAID in Kano as well as other partners.
He said that the state government appreciated the support of partners like USAID, LHSS, NEPWHAN, and KanSLAM for their advocacy engagements towards achieving the KSACA’s budget.
Earlier, the Director-General of the State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA), Dr. Usman Bashir, said SACA has brought on board 600 persons living with AIDS to benefit from the free healthcare service package introduced by the state government.
Dr. Bashir then hinted that “Most of the beneficiaries are children of those who died of HIV, as well as those children living with the disease.”
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Gov. Yusuf flag-off settlement of death benefits, gratutity to Kano pensioners
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