FIC Report (Nasarawa State) – The organized Laboure in Nasarawa State have appealed to Governor Abdullahi Sule to restore the annual increment to workers in the state.
The organized Laboure made up of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), appealed in Lafia during the 2026 Workers’ Day celebration.
Comr. Ismaila Okoh, NLC Chairman, said that the appeal became imperative to enable the civil servants to maintain seniority in the state civil service that has been eroded.
He noted that civil servants had suffered from stagnation without the annual increment of steps each successive year adding that this practice had negated the scheme of service.
He also appealed for the implementation of the N20, 000 upward review of the monthly pension of state retirees and urged that the government should consider increasing the pay of pensioners at the Local Government level.
He also appealed for the proper funding of the Pension Bureau to enable it to offset the gratuity of retirees from where it currently stops.
“We acknowledged the desire of our able governor to ensure that all retirees received their gratuity and the bureau had so far cleared up till those who retired in 2013,” the NLC Chairman added.
He however appreciated the governor for the implementation of the minimum wage and appealed that action should be expedited to conclude the ongoing process for the implementation of 25 and 35 per cent CONHESS for health workers considering their workloads.
“This is necessary given the fuel subsidy removal, which has threatened the survival of civil servants and rendered the N70,000 minimum wage ineffective,” he added.
He used the medium and called on workers to redouble their efforts to justify the huge investment of the government in the workforce.
On his part, Comrade Isa Yusuf, TUC Chairman, described the governor as a workers-friendly person who had always given attention to the welfare of civil servants.
He said that the implementation of the upward review of pensions would go a long way to improve the well-being of retirees.
The TUC Chairman appealed to the governor to create a unit to publish monthly gratuity payments to ensure that the directive to pay retirees on first to retire basis was strictly adhered to.
He added that the governor had done a lot towards improving the welfare of workers and improving the
Infrastructural deficit in the state.
The TUC Chairman listed some of the projects by the governor including the Lafia flyover and underpass, ongoing flyovers and underpasses in Akwanga, Keffi and Karu Local Government Areas, State Secretariat Complex, Bus Terminals in Lafia and Karu among others.
Others are a bypass in Akwanga, approval of government quarters to civil servants on an owner-occupied basis, and permanent appointment of casual workers.
He, therefore, assured the government of unconditional loyalty and commitment towards implementing the government’s policies and programs for the overall development of the state.
In his message, Gov. Sule who was represented by Barr. Abigail Waya, Head of Civil Service, expressed appreciation to the union and workers for their support to his administration since its inception in 2019.
The governor said that the state under him had carried out a lot of decisions and initiatives to improve the working conditions of workers and the entire people of the state.
Sule explained that he has employed more than 8,000 teaching and non-teaching staff in secondary and tertiary institutions, employed more than 2,000 healthcare workers, and given permanent appointments to over 1,000 casual workers and efforts are ongoing to employ additional teachers for primary and secondary schools.
Sule, therefore, assured that the remaining part of his tenure would be dedicated to the total transformation of the state and better welfare for its citizens.
ARI, LIMAN AMINU.
HEAD OF CENTRE,
FIC, LAFIA.
