Governor Dauda Lawal reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving the well-being of Zamfara workers. The governor made the pledge while participating in the May Day celebration, which took place on Wednesday at JB Yakubu Secretariat Complex, Gusau.

A statement by the spokesperson for the Zamfara Governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, restated that the state government is committed to actively involving workers in the governance of the state.

He added that, while addressing the Zamfara State workers, Governor Lawal promised to fully implement all the six points of his administration’s Rescue Mission, which will form the basis of the transformation agenda.

“My administration has recognised workers’ vital role in delivering services and implementing government policies. Workers and governments are partners in actualising our people’s dreams of development.

“Workers serve as the machinery through which the government achieves its goal of providing services to the people. In view of this, we will continue to explore ways of improving your well-being and that of your families, most especially considering the current difficulties being faced as a result of the removal of the oil subsidy and monetary policies that have led to a decline in the value of the naira and unprecedented inflation in the country.”

The governor also highlighted some of the achievements of his administration during his first eleven months in office.

“My fellow comrades, I am happy to state that within eleven months of our administration, workers in Zamfara State have every reason to celebrate. We have made a solid beginning by clearing the backlog of inherited salaries while ensuring the prompt payment of current salaries and extending additional welfare packages.

“To sustain these efforts, the government has implemented mechanisms to ensure that only genuine workers are on our payroll. We are also in consultation with labour on salary and wage review, given the realities of living today. I would like to put on record here my appreciation for my administration’s support and harmonious and synergetic relationship with the leadership of labor unions in the state. It is indeed one of the success factors of progress in restoring and improving governance.

Furthermore, the governor pledged to digitize all government activities and reform the civil service to adopt a modern approach to conducting government business.

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“To improve service delivery, we shall soon unveil our plans for digitizing all government activities and civil service reform to actualize a modern approach to conducting government business. This will include new methods of assessing workers’ performance, training and retraining, and the entrenchment of accountability mechanisms, among many other initiatives.

“Similarly, the government is determined to block leakages and prevent frauds that have, in some instances, characterized government business.

“In recognition of the sacrifices made by workers during their active service, it is only fair that they are treated with respect and dignity. This informed our decision to settle the backlog of gratuity arrears inherited by this administration. As soon as we clear the backlog, we shall ensure the prompt payment of gratuities to all retirees from state and local government services. With this act, in sha Allah, workers will no longer have any reason to fear retirement, which often leads to falsifying records to remain in service.”