Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has suspended his Special Adviser on Salary and Pensions, Alhaji Bashir Ado, due to an alleged premature statement regarding the approval of a N70,000 minimum wage.
This decision was made after a statement circulated through various media outlets claiming the governor had approved the new minimum wage for workers in the state.
According to Malam Bala Ibrahim, Secretary to the State Government, the government views this statement with serious concern.
In a statement signed by Ibrahim in Dutse on Saturday, he said, “This sounds embarrassing and premature as the Committee headed by the 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.”
Ibrahim explained that the committee was established to advise on the appropriate wage, and its report was still pending. The premature announcement was seen as a breach of protocol and procedure. As a result, Governor Namadi approved Ado’s immediate suspension pending the findings of a committee set up to investigate the matter.
The investigative committee is chaired by the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Bello Abdulkadir, and has been given two weeks to submit its report. The committee’s mandate includes investigating the source, actual content of the alleged statement, and the motive behind it. Other members of the committee include Sagir Musa, Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture; Dr. Abdullahi Muhammad, Commissioner for Health; and Muhammad Yahaya, Permanent Secretary Establishment and Service Matters in the office of the SSG.
Governor Namadi’s administration is taking this matter seriously, emphasizing the importance of following proper procedures and protocols in announcing policy changes.
The suspension and investigation demonstrate the governor’s commitment to transparency and accountability in governance.
