Many civil servants in Gombe State have expressed their frustration and heartbreak over the implementation of the approved minimum wage of N71,451 by the Gombe State Government.
Many of the civil servants said they were rudely shocked by what they were paid. Some said it was far beyond their expectations.
Amidst this prevailing situation, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State have roundly condemned the Inuwa Yahaya led administration for neglecting Local Government workers in paying their October salaries.
On October 14th 2024, the Gombe State Government and the State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), signed the document for the implementation of the new minimum wage for both State and Local Government employees with an assurance of effecting the payment in its October 2024 salaries.
While many of the State civil servants told our Correspondent in confidence (for fear of victimisation) that only a fraction of their expected entitlements in the new minimum wage was paid in the October salary, all Local Government staff in the State have not been paid their October salaries as at Monday morning (11/11/2024).
Earlier, when contacted by Journalists, Sunday afternoon (10/11/2024) on why the LG staff have not been paid their October salaries, the State Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Muhammad Gambo Magaji, couldn't give reasons for the delay but responded, “They’ll be paid today, Insha Allah.”
The PDP in a statement on Sunday had described the failure by the Inuwa led Government to pay the LG staff as a profound betrayal of the hardworking employees who rely on their salaries to support their families and contribute to their communities.
It said, the Government's action has proven to be nothing more than a façade, an empty promise designed to placate the public while the Government continues to ignore its fundamental obligations.
"We have consistently warned that the agreement signed between the Gombe State Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress, Gombe State chapter, is dubious at best.
"This administration has repeatedly demonstrated that its promises are hollow and its priorities misaligned. While workers in other States receive their dues promptly, Gombe State employees are left in a state of uncertainty, struggling to make ends meet", the statement stressed.
It called for a transparent review of the minimum wage agreement, emphasizing that "the purported new minimum wage should be revisited and made transparent to ensure it genuinely meets the needs of our workers".
The delayed salary payments has affected the livelyhood of Local Government workers as most of them said, "this delay is only making things worse. We are appealing to the Government to please pay us the approved new minimum wage hike immediately,” one of the LG civil servant complained.
Some expressed fears that even when paid, the salary will not be enough, “because most of us have incurred debt with the hope of getting the new minimum wage payment.
"We have been waiting since October 25. Now it is almost 50 days since we collected our last salary in September. The signed agreement of N71,451 has made some of our colleagues incur debt because it is a huge leap from N18,000 to N71,451.
"We must go to work daily because of the biometric capturing despite not being paid our salaries. So, most of the debt goes to paying very high transport fares to the office,” the LG staff complained.
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