NIGERIA
A commitment by the Nigerian State of Niger to pay its Public Servants the national minimum wage of N30,000 ($A124) a week will cost N2.6 billion ($A10.75 million), Head of Service, Hajia Salamatu Abubakar says.
She said the State could not afford to extend the increase to Local Government employees.
“In line with the terms of the agreement reached with labour, the Government will start the payments in May,” Ms Abubakar said.
“In association with this we have rationalisation plans to put round pegs in round holes, but no workers will be retrenched.”
She said trainable workers would be retrained while others would be transferred to Agencies where they could be of most use.
“We have a lot of vacancies so we will try to plug all these, although we will, as much as possible, reduce the movement of hard copy files and rely on computerisation,” Ms Abubakar said.
Meanwhile Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu (pictured) has given his Public Servants a pep talk, saying they must give “100 per cent performance in their various duty schedules”.
“You must give your best, your 100 per cent in your work because that is what determines your future,” Mr Sanwo-Olu said.
“Cherish what you have, hold it fast and do your best.”
The Governor said the Public Service was “going back to the old tradition where performance determined promotion to the rank of Permanent Secretary”.
“So, know that you are being watched, let your work speak for you, let it demonstrate your capacity and capability to perform as a Civil Servant,” Mr Sanwo-Olu said.
Abuja, 14 February 2020
