Agency lost N200 million to workers’ strike in Nasarawa

The Nasarawa Geographic Information Service (NAGIS) lost over N200 million in revenue due to incessant strikes by workers in the state in the past eight months.

Information obtained by The Guardian shows that at the turn of the year in January even before commercial activities could peak, NAGIS generated over N40 million.

By February when workers embarked on strike over salary increment and promotion related matters, revenue generated by NAGIS plummeted to only N15, 567, 946.49 less than half of what was generated in the preceeding month.

In March when the strike action was suspended midway through the month, NAGIS defied the odds and generated N23 million. Uninterrupted land administration in the month of April saw the agency rack in N75 million.

In June when business was good it generated N78, 488, 903.63 but that was not to last as workers embarked on yet another strike over issues regarding downward review of their salaries for plummeting economic fortunes of the state.

Commenting on the development, the Commissioner of Lands and Town Planning, Mr. Sunny Agassi, regretted that the state had lost valuable revenue due to incessant industrial action by workers whose effect, he said, was telling on all the citizens of the state since the revenue was a common wealth.

He lamented further that from over N78 million generated in July, only the sum of N23 million was generated in August and not much is to be expected for September since the strike was suspended midway through the month.

However, the commissioner expressed optimistic that given Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura’s dedication to a robust land administration in the state, the economic of the state and indeed its revenue generating mechanisms would soon rebound.

Agassi urged citizens of the state to take advantage of the cheap and efficient services offered by NAGIS and secure titles for their properties and that would guarantee safety, eliminate controversies over ownership and serve as a veritable tool for doing business.