Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has approved the payment of enhanced salary structure to local government workers in the state.
Zulum approved the payment on Monday during a closed-door meeting he held with the leaderships of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) at the Government House, Maiduguri.
As part of the plan, Zulum established a task force headed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Sugun Mai Mele, to review and recommend options for implementing the new salary scale and gratuity scheme for local government staff across the state.
The task force is expected to consult widely with stakeholders, review existing regulations and assess the state-wide local government workforce before proposing a viable and sustainable framework for implementing the enhanced salary scheme.
It has been given two weeks to submit its report for the governor’s consideration.
The Governor also announced plans to recruit new workers to address manpower shortages caused by retirements and the loss of skilled personnel.
The governor also directed the Directorate of Establishment to prepare a blueprint for new employment and recruitment into the state civil service.
The recruitment plan will be based on an internal review of the existing workforce, gap analysis and needs assessment, with particular attention to critical professions and areas where manpower has been depleted by retirements and capacity flight.
The measures form part of the state government’s broader response to the implementation of the national minimum wage and efforts to reform the public service workforce.
Zulum also approved the immediate implementation of promotion benefits for civil servants for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 sessions, as well as the payment of leave grants to all entitled civil servants for the 2025 session.
He further directed a review of salary arrears affecting secondary and tertiary education workers, with a view for possible implementation in September 2026.
The state government said the measures followed a service proposal from the Directorate of Establishment, Office of the Head of Service, which provided analysis and recommendations on implementing the national minimum wage policy across different levels of the state public service.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
