By correspondent in Minna.
The Commissioner, Jantabo, addressing heads of boards and agencies under the ministry
The new Niger state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Mu’azu Hamidu Jantabo has assumed duty with a promise to pay more attention to staff welfare in addition to ensuring close monitoring of agencies under the ministry.
The Commissioner who gave the assurance during a familiarisation tour of Agencies, Boards and Parastatals under the Ministry said staff welfare remained top on his priority because ‘if workers are well taken care of, they will discharge their duties diligently’.
Jantabo whose appointment was initially rejected by his kinsmen due to alleged failure to pay teachers’ salaries said the visit is aimed at establishing closer working ties with Agencies under the Ministry, including; State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), Labour House, Local Government Auditor General’s office, Local Government Service Commission amongst others.
“The familiarization visit is to identify agencies or institutions that are strategic to us and our operations to further cement already existing relationships. I have been council chairman for four years and I know areas where we are likely going to have conflicts, so we are trying to see how we can avoid the pitfalls”.
The commissioner nevertheless used the occasion to explain what he termed, ‘misconceptions about his personality while serving as Local Government chairman’ by some persons said his relationship with workers, teachers in particular has been very cordial contrary to claims in some quarters.
Teachers in Local Government Areas were not being owed any salary arrears as being insinuated, adding however that his insistence on probity and accountability may have been responsible for the initial misconceptions and misrepresentations.
Responding, the Permanent Secretary Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, the Permanent Secretary, Niger State Local Government Service Commission, Tanimu Yakubu assured the commissioner of their unalloyed support.
Meanwhile, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Idris Lafene gave a vivid picture of areas of conflict between the state government and workers at the state and Local Government levels with a view to bringing the areas or discrepancies to an end.
Comrade Lafene, who identified some of the challenges between government and workers when he played host to the new Commissioner, enumerated areas of conflict to include; consequential adjustment of minimum wage, non-payment of salary arrears and as well ineffective or outright denials of promotion for civil servants.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
