By Austine Agbo Emmanuel, Kaduna
The Kaduna State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has applauded Governor Uba Sani for reinstating teachers dismissed during the tenure of former governor Nasir El-Rufai.
The commendation was delivered by the State Chairman of the NLC, Ayuba Suleiman, while addressing members of the Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ), who are currently in Kaduna for a Governance Assessment visit.
Suleiman recalled that between 2018 and 2021, the El-Rufai administration terminated the employment of more than 23,000 teachers, among them the then National President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT).
He said Governor Sani has, so far, reinstated head teachers, administrative staff, and science teachers affected by the sweeping dismissals, stressing that the action reflects a deliberate effort to redress past wrongs.
On workers’ welfare, Suleiman disclosed that the governor has approved the implementation of the N72,000 new minimum wage for civil servants on grade levels 1 to 7.
He added that discussions are ongoing over consequential adjustments for senior staff, which would raise the state’s monthly wage bill by an estimated N1.2 billion.
The labour leader also commended Governor Sani for introducing a fleet of 20 buses to provide free transportation for workers and students, describing the intervention as a crucial step to cushion the economic strain caused by the removal of fuel subsidies.
Meanwhile, members of the NGIJ have been engaging stakeholders across Kaduna’s 23 local government areas through questionnaires and other investigative tools as part of their Governance Assessment initiative.
