Nasarawa, NLC fault BudgIT on non-payment of workers

Nasarawa State government has said the report by BudgIT that it was owing workers for six months is false.

BudgIT is a civic organisation that applies technology to intersect citizens engagement with institutional improvement to facilitate societal change.

Governor Abdullahi Sule’s Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Addra, stated yesterday: “BudgIT got this wrong. Nasarawa does not owe its workers any salary. This emphasis is necessary to correct the erroneous impression created by the BudgIT ‘2022 Sub-National Salary Survey’.

“The report purported to be a result of a ‘field survey’ puts Nasarawa in the category of states owing workers for six months and above.”

Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Nasarawa chapter, Yusuf Iya, has described the report by budgiT as untrue.

At a media briefing, yesterday, he said: “The leadership of Nasarawa NLC, hereby, debunk, condemn and describe the report as false, fallacious, concocted and baseless.

“Since the inception of this administration, state and local council workers, as well as retirees, have never been in arrears of even a month. Sule met the local council staff and retirees receiving salaries/wages in percentage, but stopped that practice immediately.”

He added that Sule inherited a salary liability of N720 million and granted approval for the payment.

“Also, Sule approved the implementation of pending promotion, which has been hanging for over 14 years with the implementation of N216 million wage bill till date, and he has never skipped any month.

“Let me further state that the document published as a result of a survey carried out lacks professional input. A qualified survey must present the source of primary and secondary data and the result of the interview conducted,” he said.

The NLC called on Nigerians to disregard the report because it is a gimmick to cause confusion and political disorder in Nasarawa.