Yobe: Workers’ Salaries will not be deducted For Education Recovery Fund- HoS

Yobe: Workers’ Salaries will not be deducted For Education Recovery Fund- HoS

By: Our Reporter

Following the announcement on Monday that the Civil Servants in Yobe state will be contributing ten percent of their salaries for the state to rescue its education sector, the Head of Civil Service  in the state Mohammed Nura on Wednesday said, the government has considered the implications and rescind its earlier decision.

He announced that the state will not deduct workers’ salaries for the planned Education Recovery Funds.

The Head of Service said that any donation from civil servants to that effect has to be voluntary and not by any form of deductions from salaries.

“Government has reviewed her position on this matter. The current position of the government on this matter is that, no salary of any worker would be deducted in respect of the education Fund.

“Anyone who wishes to donate for the appeal funds should do so voluntarily and not by deduction from his or her salary. The state government does not want to force anybody and we don’t have the right to do so,” Mohammed Nura said

To collaborate the position of the State government, The Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Muhktar  Tarbutu at  an emergency press briefing today Wednesday said the state government has shifted grounds on the deduction of  salaries of workers.

The NLC Chairman said the government has however asked any civil servant that is willing to contribute to the Trust Fund to voluntarily do so.

According to the NLC Chairman, the decision was based on the directives from Gov. Mai Mala Buni that no salaries of workers should be deducted in respect of the education appeal fund.

“Gentlemen, you are aware of the burning issue in the state now about the deduction of workers’ salaries for the education fund. We are just coming out with a meeting with the Head of Service of the State. And he has informed us that His Excellency, Gov. Mai Mala Buni has directed that  the salaries of workers will no longer be deducted,” the NLC Chairman said.

Comrade Tarbutu said the workers have welcomed the decision of the governor despite their meeting yesterday where labour agreed on the deduction of 2.5% of their salaries as against the 10% that the government proposed.

He appeals to the civil servants to go ahead and make voluntary donations to the good of the educational sector in the state.

The NLC boss also maintained the inclusion of Labour in the implantation of the funds when realized.

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“We welcome the decision of the government not to deduct our salaries even though we had a meeting and agreed for 2.5%  to be deducted. But I want to maintain that Labour will not back down on mobilizing the civil servants to make voluntary donations.

“It is for the betterment of education in our dear state. We however maintain the inclusion of Labour in the implementation of the funds for proper accountability,” Comrade Tarbutu said.

It would be recalled that, the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Mohammed Lamin, who is the Sub-Publicity Chairman of the Appeal Fund on Monday informed journalists that the state will be deducting 10% from workers’ salaries for the Appeal Fund effective November. A position which drew a lot of mixed reactions from the public.

It was however gathered that following the announcement on the deduction of 10% from the workers’ salaries, many Civil Servants in the state has kicked against the decision.

According to some workers, the salary in full is not even enough to cater for their families and the government is also bringing the issue of deduction, which did not go down well with workers.

“It is not the duty of workers to do what the government is asking, and they know about that. I am happy that they have to withdraw this because at the end it is going down on the political strategy of the APC administration because the opposition are already gathering issues to talk about in the coming days. ” Musa Lawan, a Politician in Damatur said

Yobe: Workers’ Salaries will not be deducted For Education Recovery Fund- HoS