Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has reiterated his administration’s commitment is committed to the welfare of workers, especially the staff of tertiary institutions, in the state.
Yahaya, in a statement made available to our correspondent through his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Ismaila Misilli, authorised the payment of salaries of all verified workers of state-owned tertiary institutions, including their outstanding arrears.
The institutions are the Gombe State University of Science and Technology, Kumo; College of Education, Billiri; Gombe State Polytechnic, Bajoga; College of Health Technology, Kaltungo and College of Legal and Islamic Studies, Nafada.
According to the statement, this was sequel to the directive of Governor Yahaya that all outstanding salaries of the said institutions be paid immediately by the state Government.
The statement read in part, “The staff of the Gombe State University of Science and Technology, Kumo and the College of Health Technology, Kaltungo received their salaries before workers in the remaining three institutions, namely College of Education, Billiri, Gombe State Polytechnic, Bajoga and College of Legal and Islamic Studies, Nafada, were paid.”
It would be recalled that all the newly established state-owned tertiary institutions drew their funding through a joint arrangement between the Gombe State Government and the 11 Local Government Councils on a 55/ 45 per cent ratio. However, the burden of funding such institutions had driven most of the LGCs into perpetual debt and rendered them insolvent before the coming of Governor Yahaya’s administration, thereby making them unable to pay even their own staff salaries.
The statement observed that due to the prudent and transparent management of resources, as well as cost saving measures, the state government paid salaries of workers without borrowing from the banks as was the case before.
Therefore, in his steadfast commitment to the welfare of the workforce in the state, it noted, the governor had declared that all staff would continue to get their salaries and wages as at when due.
