Governor of Taraba State Counsels Labour Leaders on Retirement Plan

Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku has urged labour leaders in the state to help their members plan effectively for life after retirement.


Ishaku made the call recently in Jalingo when labour leaders led by Comrade Peter Gambo, paid him a goodwill visit at the Government House, Taraba.

The governor, who was Minister of State in the federal cabinet at the time of the unbundling of the National Electricity Power Authority, NEPA, a few years ago said his concern for the welfare of workers after retirement was a fall-out of his experience during that exercise. He said many of the defunct NEPA workers who lost their jobs in the exercise had no visible plans for life after retirement.

“I discovered to my utmost surprise that many of these people had no basic idea of business, not even about buying and selling of food items that ordinary men and women do to survive.”

He said the agitation by labour for workers’ welfare should not stop in the demands for increase in salaries, promotion and other welfare packages but should include sustainable business ideas that can help them face the future squarely after retirement.
“In your capacity as labour leaders, you owe your members a duty to help them plan properly in order to make retirement painless for them,”, he said.

He noted that the uncertainty of life after retirement that is the lot of most civil servants was the reason many workers do not want to retire but would rather falsify their birthday records to gain more years of service.

Ishaku drew a loud applause when he announced to the labour leaders of his administration’s grand plan for workers in the state to own houses. He said henceforth, new entrants into the state civil service would register for houses from the onset and deductions would be made from their monthly salaries towards a permanent home to be built and given to them in five years, such new workers would be in a position to move into their own houses.

The governor also told the labour leaders that payment of salaries, which had been the priority in the state would remain so. “In this state, payment of salaries is our number one priority. I don’t authorise payment to any contractor until I’m sure salaries have been paid.” He said he had to do things that way because he was aware that for every civil servant that collects his salary, there are about five dependants waiting for his assistance.

Governor Ishaku also used the occasion to talk about what government has achieved in in other critical areas. He said the water projects being handled in Jalingo, would make the town self-sufficient by the end of the year. He also said many hospitals in the state have now been reactivated and now functional. “At the time we came on board, the

Specialist Hospital in Jalingo was the only functioning medical centre in the state.
there was no other place to take critical medical cases to, and people came there with medical cases from even Gembu. But today that situation has changed dramatically.

The general hospitals in Wukari, Bali and Gembu are being equipped to further improve the situation.” He said medical equipment and drugs were being purchased for these hospitals.

Speaking on behalf of the Niger Labour Congress ( NLC) members, Gambo said the visit to the Governor was in appreciation of the laudable job he was doing in the state. He said: “We have come to show appreciation for the good job you’re doing. You have paid salaries promptly. This is a wonderful effort and we must forget to acknowledge it. we can see the roads you’re doing in Jalingo and in the the zones. We can also see the street lights, the drainages and we appreciate them. We appreciate peace that has been achieved through you effort,”, he said.

Bako said he was aware of the antics of mischief makers whose eyes were closed to the achievements of the governor and urged the governor to ignore such arm chair critics.

“You should not be distracted but rather remain focused”, he said. He said the state NLC under his leadership does not believe in criticising the government for the sake of doing so. “We can appreciate good things. And you are doing a lot of good things. We support you and we will continue to encourage you.