Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi has suspended his Special Adviser on Salary and Pensions, Alhaji Bashir Ado, due to a premature statement regarding the approval of a N70,000 minimum wage. This decision was made after a statement circulated in the media claiming the governor had approved the new minimum wage, which raised serious concerns.
According to Secretary to the State Government, Mallam Bala Ibrahim, “the government viewed with serious concern, a statement circulating in various sections of the media alleging that the governor has approved N70,000 as the new minimum wage for workers in the state.”
Ibrahim emphasized that this statement sounds “embarrassing and premature” since the committee responsible for advising on the appropriate wage has yet to complete its assignment and submit a report.
The committee, headed by the Head of the State Civil Service, was established to provide guidance on the suitable wage. However, their work is still ongoing, making Ado’s statement untimely and inappropriate.
As a result, Governor Namadi approved Ado’s immediate suspension pending the findings of a committee set up to investigate the matter.
This committee, led by State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Bello Abdulkadir, consists of Sagir Musa, Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture, Dr. Abdullahi Muhammmad, Commissioner for Health, and Muhammad Yahaya, Permanent Secretary, Establishment and Service Matters, Office of the SSG.
The committee has been tasked with investigating the source, content, and motive behind Ado’s statement and has two weeks to submit its report.