SUBSIDY REMOVAL: BORNO GIVES 2 BILLION NAIRA LOAN TO……………
By:Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state has presented a cheque of two billion naira to the Nigerian Labour Congress, for disbursement as interest-free loans to workers to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal.
This was part of the nine-point demands earlier presented by Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress to the state Governor.
The demands included palliatives to workers, housing and agricultural loans, review of monthly gratuity from 100 to 500 million naira, implementation of promotion benefits, and procurement of CNG buses for conveying workers.
The presentation of the two billion naira check took place at Government House Maiduguri after a meeting between the Governor and leadership of NLC.
The Governor requested leadership of the Congress to liase with the ministry of finance to determine category of workers to be entitled for the loans with has repayment period of twenty four months as well as the loan recovery process.
He also announced one hundred percent increase in payment of backlog of gratuities from one hundred million naira to two hundred million naira monthly.
Similarly, Governor Zulum also announced allocation of thirty buses to be dedicated to conveying workers from different routes across the metropolis at subsidized fares.
He also directed the ministry of finance to clear backlogs of promotional benefits owed workers whose names where omitted during earlier payments.
The workers were those still being owed 2016, 2017 and 2018 promotional benefits after their names where omitted during payments approved by Governor Zulum in 2019.
The NLC chairman comrade Yusuf Inuwa thanked Governor Zulum for meeting the major demands of the organised labour, noting that they will continue to engage the government to implement the remaining demands for improved welfare of workers at the state and local government levels.