COVID-19: Why we deducted staff salaries - Governor El-Rufai
- Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state has opened up on why the salaries of staff in the state were deducted
- El-Rufai explaining the decision said it was to ensure that public servants made some sacrifice for the welfare of vulnerable Kaduna citizens
- The governor noted that up to one million people in the state who go out to make a living daily can't because of the lockdown
Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said that the reason why salaries of government workers and political appointees in the state were deducted was for public servants to make a sacrifice for the welfare of other citizens.
El-Rufai said the government decided that state workers and officials who were fortunate to be paid during the lockdown should make a contribution to the cost of buying palliatives for vulnerable citizens who cannot earn a living.
The governor who disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists in a live media chat on Tuesday night, April 28, said Kaduna state has no problem with paying salaries.
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He noted that about 95% of the statutory allocation of March was spent on payment of salaries to public servants.
Source: Twitter
According to El-Rufai, up to one million people in Kaduna state go out daily to make a living but can't do that as a result of the lockdown.
El-Rufai said that the government decided that Kaduna state executive members this month donate the sum of N500,000 each to the Palliative Fund.
‘’So, we decided that we that have an income should sacrifice for this category of people, to enable government to get funds to buy palliatives for them.
‘’Henceforth, we will donate half of our salaries until when life returns to near normal,” the governor said.
However, it was noted that only civil servants who earn from N67,000 and above will donate one-quarter of their salaries to fund the palliatives.
El-Rufai said: "Our religions teach us to uphold a duty of care towards others, to want for others that which we want for ourselves. If you are lucky to have an income, you should make a contribution to ensure that others can survive and thrive in the dangerous circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic.’’
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the lockdown imposed in Kaduna state to contain the spread of COVID-19 has been extended for another 30 days by Governor El-Rufai.
The Kaduna state government disclosed on Saturday, April 26, that the governor took the decision based on the recommendation of the state standing committee on COVID-19.
Muyiwa Adekeye, a spokesperson to the governor in a statement noted that the extension of the lockdown is effective from April 26.
According to the new 30-day extension, the two-day window during which the restriction of movement is relaxed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays has been reduced to only one day.
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Source: Legit.ng
