Ajayi Taiwo
Governor Zulum Approves N2b Interest-Free Loans for Workers, Increases Monthly Releases for Gratuities, Allocates 30 Buses to Transport Workers in Borno
Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum on Tuesday approved N2 billion in interest-free loans to workers in the state to cushion the effects of the recent fuel subsidy removal.
The governor announced during a meeting with officials of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Maiduguri.
Zulum also announced a 100% increase in the monthly releases for payment of gratuities backlog, from N100 million to N200 million.
He also allocated 30 buses to be dedicated to transporting workers in the metropolis at subsidized fares.
“The buses will be managed by the Borno Express Transport Corporation and will be deployed at pick-up points along major routes to move workers to the Musa Usman secretariat in the morning and return them by evening from the secretariat to where they were picked up in the morning.”
Zulum also directed the state’s ministry of finance to clear backlogs of promotional benefits owed workers whose names were omitted during earlier payments.
“The workers were those still being owed 2016, 2017, and 2018 promotional benefits after their names were omitted during payments approved by Governor Zulum in 2019.”
Zulum directed that workers owed 2019 and 2020 promotional benefits should all be paid while those owed from 2021 to date are to be paid based on the outcome of a recent promotional exam in which they participated.
The NLC chairman in Borno State, Comrade Yusuf Inuwa, thanked Governor Zulum for meeting the top of their demands, hoping that labor will continue engaging the government for more demands to be addressed for the welfare of workers at the state and local government levels.
