KANO, Nigeria – The Governor-elect of Nigeria’s Kano state, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, has pledged to reform the civil service and ensure prompt payment of salaries and pensions to workers.
In a statement to mark Workers’ Day, the former civil servant noted the sacrifices made by workers in both the public and private sectors, particularly during the global economic downturn.
“Workers are the key to delivering good governance under any democratic dispensation, as such, they deserve to be commended for their sacrifice to humanity,” he said.
Engr. Abba also acknowledged the challenges facing Kano State civil servants, including unfavourable working conditions and inadequate manpower. He promised to establish a training institute for civil servants to keep them up to date with global best practices.
The Governor-elect also pledged to tackle job racketeering and nepotism in staff recruitment in the state, saying that his administration will ensure a credible recruitment process for all citizens with the required qualifications.
“We shall not allow the civil service to be misguided by corruption and nepotism. We must check the job racketeering in Kano state as a priority to restore the lost glory of the service,” he said.
Engr. Abba resigned from the state civil service , having served for more than 20 years in various capacities across the state’s water sector.
The Workers’ Day statement is seen as a signal of intent by the incoming administration, which will be inaugurated on May 29.
