Mixed reaction as Yobe workers confirm receipt of new minimum wage

By Sadiq Abubakar, The Nigerian Voice, Damaturu
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Civil Servants in Yobe State have confirmed the payment of the new minimum wage but with discordant reactions.

Investigation reveals that while the junior level cadre are jubilating for collecting their full N30,000 while the senior cadre are complaining of being shortchanged by the account balances they have seen.

Some of the Civil Servants who spoke to The Nigerian Voice said they did not understand the criteria used by NLC and the state government to arrive at the current payment.

Malam Idris Ayuba, a senior level officer in the State Civil Service said, "the implementation of the junior cadre (levels 1-6) as you know it is none negotiable so they got their thirty thousand naira intact. But from the ones above, there is confusion. They just added N7000 across board. We don't know what kind of calculation they used to arrive at that," Idris disclosed.

Adamu Ibrahim, a junior civil servant has however confirmed that his salary has been jerked up from N18,500 to N30,000.

The NLC chairman in the State, Mukhtar Tarbutu also confirmed the payment.

While reacting to the complaints from a section of the civil servants, Comrade Tarbutu informed that the NLC and government have not concluded negotiations on the new minimum wage.

The Yobe NLC leader explained that the current payment is based on the 2012 consequential table in the State which according to him was not properly implemented.

He urged all civil servants to be patient as the issues will soon be resolved for the benefit of all.

Gov. Mai Mala Buni last week declared that workers in the state will enjoy the new minimum wage by the end of this month.

Though many were sceptical about the governor's pronouncements as the state negotiations committee was just set up a few days before his declaration..