- Sets up panel to unravel the motive.
By Mohammed Abubakar, Dutse
Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has slammed a two week suspension on his Special Adviser on Salary and Pension, Ado Bashir Kazaure, for alleged premature comments on a yet-to-be submitted report on Minimum Wage in the State.
In addition, the Governor has constituted a five-member investigative panel to investigate the source, the content of the statement and the motive the act.
In a statement on Saturday night, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Bala Ibrahim, said the State government viewed with serious concern a statement circulating in various sections of the Media alleging that Gov. Namadi, had approved N70, 000 as new minimum wage.
The Statement said: “This sounds embarrassing and pre-mature as the Committee headed by Head of the State Civil Service, set up by the Government to advise on the appropriate wage is yet to complete its assignment and submit report.
“Accordingly, the State Government is compelled to set up a Committee to investigate the source, actual content of the statement and the motive behind it.”
The committee, which is headed by the State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Barrister Bello Abdulkadir Fanini, also the Commissioner for Information, Sagir Musa Ahmed, his Health counterpart, Muhammad Abdullahi Kainuwa, the Permanent Secretary, Establishment Matters, Muhammad, Yahaya Jabo, and Permanent Secretary, REPA as Secretary.
“Meanwhile, Governor Malam Umar A Namadi has approved the immediate suspension of Alhaji Bashir Ado Kazaure as Special Adviser to the Governor on Salary and Pension pending the outcome of the Committee’s findings.
According to the Statement “the Special Adviser to the Governor on Salary and Pension, Alhaji Bashir Ado Kazaure is hereby suspended pending the outcome of the Committee’s findings.”
Kazaure was said to have announced to the delight of the State civil servants on Thursday of the Governor’s allayed approval of N70,000 minimum wage, a situation that threw the workers into happiness.
However, their joy was caught short when the State government denied approving the N70,000 minimum wage as announced by the aide.
Reports from the State indicated that the civil servants were extremely happy and took to social media to express their gratitude to the Governor after the story broke on Thursday, the 10th of this month.
However, the civil servants became confused and disappointed when an audio message, purportedly from the governor’s aide retracted and denied the Governor’s approval.