Kano monthly salary payment hits N9b-Ganduje

The Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has said that total sum of N9billion is being spent on a monthly basis for payment of workers’ salaries.

Although, he pointed out that his administration is committed and concern about it workers, even when most state governments have not been able to pay salaries as a result of the economic situation in the country.

He made this disclosure recently at the closing of a two-day workshop for financial journalists with theme: ‘The Role of Nigeria Banking Sector: Opportunities, Challenges and the Way forward’. It was organised by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) in Kano recently.

He stated that despite being the largest state in terms of population growth, the administration has not owed workers, and all public servants “in the state and local government usually receive their salaries between 26th and 28th of every month.”

Ganduje, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Usman Alhaji Usman, also expressed the willingness of the state to embrace public-private partnership (PPP) to revive the ailing cotton industry in the state.

“We need public private investment in order to revive the cotton industry,” he said.

He disclosed that the state has invested N10.18bn in the construction of the Murtala Mohammed Road Bridge as well as N3.59bn in the construction of the Bukavu underpass, among others.

He explained that in the area of environment, the administration was doing enough to address certain challenges.

He also listed some of his achievements. Ganduje said: “We have so many empowerment programmes ongoing in the state and they involve market women, and farmers.

The Masu Shayi (tea sellers) empowerment is an effort from the government to improve first, the environment. During the inauguration of the empowerment programmes, there was a lecture on the cleaning of their environment and making the tea in good environment.

“Also, the empowerment was to make them self- sufficient so that they can to feed and take care of their families. Again, it was done to protect the public from practices that ordinarily would bring about diseases to the community.

Meanwhile, the NDIC, has disclosed that a total sum of N105bn has been paid to 442, 615 depositors of closed Deposit Money Banks (DMBs).

The corporation Managing Director, Umaru Ibrahim, also, said that the figure was as at the end of September, 2017.

Similarly, the Corporation paid a cumulative sum of N2.88bn to 525, 009 depositors of closed Microfinance banks (MfBs), as well as N60 million to 756 depositors of closed Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs).

Ibrahim, who spoke at the NDIC Special Day at the just concluded 38th Kano International Trade Fair, said: ”It is equally important to draw the attention of members of the public to take advantage of the numerous incentives available to save and have financial services.

Depositors are also guaranteed by NDIC in the event of bank failure up to a minimum if N500, 000 in commercial, Merchant/Mortgage Banks/Mobile banking subscribers, while N200, 000 in a Micro-Finance Bank.”

Ibrahim, explained that the corporation has paid liquidation dividends to customers, whose deposits are in excess of the insured sums upon the sale of fiscal assets of the closed banks and debt recovery.

However, he stressed the need for depositors to patronize inly financial Institutions that are licensed by the CBN and which display the NDIC sticker: ” Insured by NDIC” in their banking halls and entrances, so as to avoid patronizing dubious fund managers, otherwise, known as ‘Wonder Banks’.

He also, said that:” There is also the emerging trend of investing in digital currencies, popularly known as Bitcoins, which has serous dangerous consequences, like the ‘Wonder Banks’ because the digital currencies are not licensed by the CBN and therefore not insured by NDIC.’

“The administration of Ganduje is doing so much on the environmental challenges we are facing in the state. A lot of measures are being put in place.

There is a large population with very narrow streets and wastage. In two and half years, the government introduced the cleanliness of these dirty areas.

Motolani Oseni