Activist Tasks Taraba Governor Over Unfulfilled Promises
By Chuwang Dungs, Jalingo
A human right activist, Rikwense Muri, has expressed concerns over the failure of Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State, to fulfil some of his promises to the people of the state, especially to end the casualisation of workers.
The comment was against the backdrop of the governor’s promised to give full appointment to casual workers in the state, especially those working at the state government house.
Speaking to DAYLIGHT REPORTERS correspondent, the activist, noted that the governor on assumption into office, met with the casual staff working in government house promising that their welfare would be one of his priorities, but that the casual workers have seen nothing forthcoming.
“The casual staff are suffering, they are the people doing most of the work, most of them putting their lives at risk as drivers and have been driving for over twenty years as casual workers collecting a meagre pay of just 15 thousand naira, initially it was 3 thousand naira, it is the present government that increase it, with the promise to give them appointment letters, this a thing of concern and they cannot talk.
“The new minimum wage law states that once a worker works in an organized private sector or government MDA, the least he should be paid is N70,000 is a law in Nigeria.
“If you go to the Taraba State broadcasting service, TTV, Taraba State University, college of agriculture, in fact the issue is all over. People are working as casual staff receiving peanuts.
“Politicians are being appointed and are receiving heavy sums while people that are doing the bulk of the work go home with nothing to write home about is very unfair,” Mr Muri said.
Muri, who declared that Kefas has been making lots of promises, lamented that, “Most of the promises are not fulfilled and are not realistic. This pledges has tarnished his reputation, he can’t afford to govern like this.
“I have repeatedly said here that this administration is very long on promises but short on fulfillment. Take for example, the issue of free education. When this government came up with the idea of free education, he promised to renovate all primary and secondary schools across the state, he promised to provide free school uniforms, reading materials and free transportation to primary school pupils in less than a year, but now it is becoming obvious that he can’t keep to his promises.
“What our people need is not this type of free education that is being bandied about.
“What we need in our schools is infrastructure development. But because the governor does not listen to anybody except himself, he is drumming into people’s ears that free education is achievable.”
Muri advised the governor to stop globetrotting in the name of meeting with investors and face the business of governance.
Recall DAYLIGHT REPORTERS recently reported how Mr Muri, rejected an appointment offered to him by Governor Kefas as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Project Tracking.
