By: Bomba Dauda
A widow, mother of six and civil servant with the kaduna state government (name withheld) described the move by the kaduna state government to forcefully deduct 25% of their salary as a show of inhumanity and wickedness. “How will government forcefully deduct money from a source that is meant for civil servant? She asked. Stating further: “This is not different from the pains armed robbers inflicts on their victims.”
Even before the deduction, the disposable income of civil servants in the state is not good enough when you consider the rate of inflation in the country, she said.
“Putting my case into perspective and the fact that I have six children that I’m raising all by myself from my meagre income, my worries are further worsened by the deduction.
“Before the pandemic started my house rent was due and my Landlord was already bogging me to pay. Besides, two of my children are in the university, two are in Senior Secondary School, one in Nursery and the last born will soon enroll in Nursery School. Not to talk of feeding the children and their medicare. How does El-rufai want us to cope?”
Her reaction is in line with the response previously put forward by the Nigerian Union of Labour, NLC, kaduna State. In a press release by the NLC, the union “unequivocally rejects this deduction.”
Saying, This is because the Union was not consulted on the issue nor consented to the deduction.
“In view of the above, Labour in Kaduna state calls on the Kaduna state government to stop the 25% deduction henceforth and should return the 25% salary already deducted from the workers.
“Failure to comply with the above will leave the labour in the state with no option than to explore other possible avenues within the purview of the law.”
