The Governor of Nasarawa State, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has reassured that the state still remains safe, in spite of some security challenges being experienced which led to the kidnap and murder of the chairman of All Progressive Congress (APC), in the state, late Chief Philip Shekwo. Sule, gave the assurance while hosting the national leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Women Commission, who were on a courtesy call to the Government House, Lafia last week Friday.
According to him, the issue of security in the state, is not as bad as it’s being projected, adding that, though it was terrible for the state chairman of the ruling party to be murdered, still government has taken adequate steps to maintain security in the state.
He disclosed that security has been heightened across the state since the murder of Shekwo, with combined military operation ongoing to further rid the state of bad elements. The Governor further revealed that following intense pursuit of the kidnappers of the sibling of a principal member of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly by a combined security operatives, the kidnappers were forced to abandon their victim, who regained his freedom.
Sule, also announced that three suspects linked to the murder of the state APC chairman were killed by military operatives in Loko town early in the morning last week Friday while nine other suspects linked to the murder were arrested. He further disclosed that security operatives recovered four number of AK47 from the suspects killed in Loko. ”The military is not taking it lightly with these criminals. “The situation that we have, is yes, we are having few security challenges in the state but the security agencies have not rested,” he stated.
Earlier, the National Chairperson of the TUC women wing, Hafsat Shuaibu, scored the Governor high for making Nasarawa State reasonably safe. Mrs. Shuaibu said the TUC women wing decided to come to Nasarawa State to hold its annual seminar, with women drawn across the 36 states and the FCT, mostly because of the Governor’s records of achievements. Meanwhile, the Governor of Nasarawa State, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has expressed the willingness of his administration to implement the new national minimum wage for civil servants from grade level six downwards. Sule, made this known while playing host to the national leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Women Commission, at the Government House, on Friday. He said his administration is willing to increase the salary of civil servants from grade level six downwards to the N30, 000 new minimum wage. He, however, appealed for the understanding of state civil servants from level 7 to 16, who are already enjoying higher salaries as was implemented by the previous administration, with civil servants in that category earning higher salaries even more than some of their colleagues in states like Kaduna, Plateau and Kwara, where the new national minimum wage was implemented.
Commenting on the issue of promotion, the Governor noted that it’s not too much responsibility for any institution to promote its employees, stressing however that it’s necessary to match promotion with performance. Sule said the civil service in Nasarawa State needs to be reformed, which informed the decision of his administration to embark on the training of civil servants, as well as empowering them with proper tools to work.
“If you give somebody responsibility, give them proper tools, encouragement and training, and let them perform. If they don’t perform, then promotion doesn’t come,” he said. He said the thrust of his administration is to reform the state civil service, to make civil servants in the state become more competitive, even better than civil servants working in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).