7 Months Without Pay: Katsina Committee Clears 401 Workers, Recommends ₦335m Salary Relief

‎‎By Sulaiman Ciroma 

‎A committee set up by the Katsina State Government to review salary-related complaints involving local government workers has cleared 401 employees for restoration to the payroll and urged the government to expedite payment of about ₦335 million in outstanding salaries owed to affected staff.

‎The committee disclosed this while presenting an interim report to the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), saying the affected workers had gone for seven months without salaries due to pending verification and administrative issues.

‎Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Rufai Safana, said the review covered workers whose salaries were either completely stopped or downgraded for various reasons across the local government system

‎According to him, 584 workers whose salaries were entirely suspended were reviewed by the committee, with 401 already cleared to return to the payroll.

‎Safana explained that among those cleared were 71 workers whose reinstatement would depend on the state government’s acceptance of specific recommendations made by the committee regarding their cases.

‎He noted that some of the affected workers had issues requiring government consideration before their salaries could be fully restored.

‎“At the time of this report, about 401 staff have been cleared. This number includes 71 workers whose return to the payroll will depend on government accepting a recommendation we have made concerning their cases,” he said.

‎The committee chairman revealed that the cumulative salary arrears owed to the affected workers over the seven-month period amounted to approximately ₦335 million.

‎He appealed to the government to act swiftly in approving the report and releasing the funds, stressing that many of the workers and their families had endured significant hardship.

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‎“These staff have really suffered enough. We believe that restoring their salaries and paying the outstanding arrears will bring relief to their families and contribute positively to the state as a whole,” Safana said.

‎He added that the prolonged salary dispute had created tension and misunderstandings between government authorities and civil servants, making it necessary for the committee to submit an interim report before completing its assignment.

‎Safana disclosed that the committee would resume work on Monday to review another batch of 294 workers whose cases involve salary downgrading and related issues.

‎He expressed confidence that the remaining cases would be concluded within the week, paving the way for the submission of a final report to the government.

‎The committee chairman also highlighted the broad-based approach adopted during the review process, saying representatives from key agencies and departments were involved to ensure fairness and transparency.

‎According to him, personnel from the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), the Primary Healthcare Development Agency and the Ministry for Local Government were co-opted into the committee because of their direct involvement in salary administration and personnel matters.

‎He added that directors of administration from all local government councils, education secretaries and health directors were invited to provide relevant documents and clarify issues surrounding the affected workers.

‎“We went through all the records, answered all questions and ensured that our recommendations were fair and just,” he said.

‎Receiving the report on behalf of the state government, a Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government commended the committee for what he described as a thorough and professional assignment.

‎He particularly praised the committee for prioritising workers whose salaries had been completely suspended, describing the interim report as a welcome development.

‎The permanent secretary assured the committee that the government would study the recommendations and take appropriate action.

‎“On our part, we will take it up from here and do the needful appropriately and advise His Excellency accordingly. We appreciate the effort and dedication that went into this assignment,” he said.

‎The committee was inaugurated by the Katsina State Government to review complaints involving staff of local government councils, Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) and primary healthcare institutions across the state, following concerns over salary suspensions and other payroll-related issues.

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