Kaduna State Govt pays May salaries ahead of Sallah

Kaduna State Government has directed the state Ministry of Finance to pay May 2020 salaries for public servants on Tuesday, six days before the usual payment date of 25th of every month.

The Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, disclosed this during a media chat she co-hosted with Gov. Nasir El-Rufai at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House on Tuesday.

In a statement issued by Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Mr Muyiwa Adekeye, the deputy governor said that the gesture was to enable workers to better utilise Wednesday and Thursday COVID-19 lockdown free window.

It was reported that the lockdown free window was provided for residents to stock up on food and other essentials, especially ahead of Eid-il-Fitr celebration.

It was also reported that the month long Ramadan fasting by Muslims ends by Friday or Saturday, subject to a formal announcement by the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.

The deputy governor, however, advised public servants to be prudent in managing their resources ahead of difficult period caused by the realities of COVID-19.

“Kaduna State was the first government to comply with the new national wage, which it began paying along with consequential adjustments with effect from 1st September 2019.

“The state government had initiated and concluded its own wage review before the Federal Government launched new minimum wage negotiations with the labour unions in 2018.

‘’The review was implemented as a key component of its public service reform and revitalisation programme launched in 2016 to transform the public service into a more efficient and responsive, IT compliant and younger institution,’’ Balarabe said.

She pointed out that, prior to the initiation of the public service reform programme, the state government had announced during the revenue slump of 2016 that it was prioritising personnel cost as a key component of its budget adjustment mechanism.