By Zubairu M. Lawal Lafia.
The Nasarawa state government DOES NOT owe its workers a single month’s salary.
This emphasis is necessary to correct the erroneous impression created by the BudgIT “2022 Sub-national salary Survey” report.
The report purported to be a result of a ‘’field survey’’ puts Nasarawa in category of state “owing workers salary for six months and above”.
In a statement issued on Monday, 15th August, 2022, by Ibrahim Addra, Chief Secretary to the Governor said the report by BudgIT is untrue, unjust, unfair and has come to the Nasarawa state government as a rude shock!
Going by its past reputation we had hoped BudgIT would deny the report or come out to admit errors in its data collection and make amends.
Days after the report BudgIT has not done so. The Nasarawa state government is therefore left with no option but to lay bare this fallacy by BudgIT.
Such matters of workers salary are not issues that can be concealed or left to some unverified data. The workers in Nasarawa can speak for themselves in this regard and have done so at different times.
For the avoidance of doubt, Nasarawa State government under the stewardship of Engr. Abdullahi Sule has never and does not owe a single month of salary.
Nasarawa has paid salaries up to July of 2022 and in full. It is therefore curious, worrisome and in bad taste that such lies are allowed to remain in the public domain.
By this report, BudgIT misinformed Nigerians and its wider audience and has in doing so dented its image and reduced its credibility quotient.
“We are at a loss as to how BudgIT got its data and arrived at this unfortunate conclusion.
“We challenge BudgIT to come to the state and speak with the workers themselves and the Leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress TUC, or any other labour unions.”
“We challenge BudgIT to admit it has goofed and come out with a categorical statement and apology regarding the status of salary payment in Nasarawa State.”
Anything short of this honourable path will be viewed as an unwarranted attack on the government and people of Nasarawa state.
The timing of the BudgIT report smacks of mischief and by allowing the same such wide circulation in the media space bear the markings of the job of a hatchet man.
BudgIT, redeem your image! Correct this Blunder and apologize.
