Zamfara bans cooperative deductions, others from salaries

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has ordered the immediate suspension of all non-statutory deductions, notably cooperative associations and commodity vendors’ deductions from salaries of government workers.

This comes on the heels of multiple complaints raised by workers regarding deductions made through the state payroll system.

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The Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, confirmed the state government’s decision in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the statement,  “in his resolve to sanitize the Zamfara State payroll system for more efficient management of state civil servants’ remunerations currently inundated with a lot of unauthorized and illegal deductions, Governor Dauda Lawal has ordered an immediate halt to all non-statutory deductions from workers’ salaries.

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“The decision was due to numerous complaints about deductions from workers’ salaries, some of which were used to facilitate an illegal surcharge of the workers in the name of cooperatives and commodity loan repayments.

“Governor Lawal has instructed the Commissioner of Finance to stop all such deductions from workers’ salaries and to communicate the same information to all cooperative societies and commodities vendors.

“For more clarity, the only allowed statutory deductions comprise the PAYE, Union dues, NHF, ZAMCHEMA; water rate, FMB (Rent to Own), FMB (Home Renovation) and Housing Corp Loan.

“The present administration in Zamfara State is committed to implementing measures that support the welfare and development of the civil servants. “They include enhancing working conditions, providing necessary resources and creating a conducive environment to ensure a highly competent, motivated, and productive workforce.”