Niger State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have endorsed the second term of Governor Umaru Bago and his Deputy, Comrade Yakubu Garba, in the forthcoming 2027 general elections.
State Chairman of NLC, Comrade Abdulkareem Lafene, commended the government for the extension of service years for teachers, the implementation of Grade level 17 in the LG service, and the introduction of wage awards for LGA teachers to bridge the gap between the state and council workers’ salaries.
The organised Labour, however, called for the resumption of gratuity payments in both state and local government systems.
Lafene, who sought the implementation of a new minimum pension and settlement of pension arrears in the state during the 2026 Workers’ Day celebration at 1-2-3 quarters in Minna, urged the state to address the prolonged stagnation in promotion within the local government system since 2015.
The organised Labour and workforce after the Chairman’s speech then chanted “we all endorse Governor Bago and his Deputy for a second term”.
In his remarks, Niger state Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, represented by his Deputy, comrade Yakubu Garba, while reeling out his administration’s efforts to promote workers’ welfare in the state, said the Government has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Ministry of Finance for a Sustainable Integrated Productive Communities (SIPC) Pilot Scheme.
Accordingly, he said, “This 100,000 Hectares Model is an initiative that will enable workers and farmers to own homes through productivity-backed mortgage facilities, thereby integrating mass housing with agricultural settlements to boost workers’ efficiency.
“With this MoU, we reaffirm that the dignity of our workers is matched by the security of a shelter they can truly call their own”.
Furthermore, Governor Bago said, “It is worthy of note that from 1999 to 2023, the pension liability defrayed by the government was well above Four Billion Naira (N4bn), while our administration, within the space of three years, had paid pension liabilities of Six Billion Naira (N6bn). This therefore demonstrates our commitment to the welfare of our workers and retirees in the state.
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