Jigawa Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, has suspended his Special Adviser on Salary and Pension, Alhaji Bashir Ado Kazaure, effective immediately.
The suspension was confirmed by the Secretary to the State Government, Malam Bala Ibrahim, in a statement that was signed and shared with Tribune Online by the Public Relations Officer to the Secretary, Comrade Ismaila Ibrahim.
According to the statement, Kazaure’s suspension stems from his alleged involvement in a disputed media report claiming that Governor Namadi had approved a minimum wage of N70,000 for state civil servants, which he later denied in an audio clip broadcast by the state radio station.
In response to this situation, the Secretary to the State Government also announced the formation of a five-member committee tasked with investigating the source, content, and intent of the controversial statement. .
Malam Bala Ibrahim noted that “The Jigawa State Government viewed with serious concern a statement circulating in various sections of the Media alleging that His Excellency Governor Malam Umar A. Namadi has approved N70,000 as new minimum wage”.
He maintained that “this sounds embarrassing and premature as the Committee headed by Head of the State Civil Service, set up by the Government to advise on the appropriate wage, is yet to complete its assignment and submit a report.”
“Accordingly, the State Government is compelled to set up a Committee to investigate the source, the actual content of the statement, and the motive behind it.”
Malam Bala Ibrahim added that the Committee is to be chaired by the State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Barrister Bello Abdulkadir Fanini while the commissioner of Information, Youth, Sports and Culture, Sagir Musa Ahmed, commissioner of Health, Dr. Muhammad Abdullahi Kainuwa, Permanent Secretary Establishment and Service Matters, Muhammad Yahaya Jabo to serves as members and Permanent Secretary REPA, Abba Mustapha Yola to be the Secretary of the committee which is given two weeks to submit their report.
