‘It’s Been 11 Years Since We Joined And Our Salary Is Still ₦8, 000 ‘ – Plateau Sweepers Recount Experience

What came to them as a kind gesture from the Plateau State government sixteen years ago, now seems like toiling helplessly in their sight.

This is the position of most street sweepers in Jos, the Plateau State capital who encountered the ordeal of living on a monthly salary of ₦8,000 in the last 16 years with no increase.

Naija News understands that these street cleaners who are mostly widows were employed for 16 years under the administration of Jonah Jang.

The government then introduced a widowhood policy as a means of ameliorating the plight of widows in the state whose husbands have died.

It was gathered that by 2015 when the administration of Jang ended, the state government had recruited about 5,000 widows under the scheme.

However, 16 gears down the line, these widows and cleaners have cried about their static salaries considering these hard times.

This online news platform gathered that some of these cleaners who spoke to  Daily Trust have decried the ordeal of living on a monthly salary of ₦8,000.

One of the cleaners identified as Mrs Titi Musa, who sits along Lamingo Road, told said “I am among the pioneer staff of the ministry. We were recruited by the Jonah Jang administration and our salary is ₦8,000.00 per month. They say they are helping us, but in some months, they don’t pay us. I am doing it because I don’t have anyone to take care of me. I have five children but two of them died after I lost my husband. The remaining three have no jobs. So, I have to do something to take care of myself.”

Another street cleaner cited at Miango Junction, Mrs. Keziah John, also said, “It’s been 11 years now since I joined the street cleaners, and my salary is still ₦8,000.00 per month.”

Another cleaner at the Rukuba Road, Mrs Naomi Song who became a widow over 30 years ago remarked that “My problem is that this ₦8,000 cannot buy anything. I don’t see it as the government helping us; we are just toiling for us to eat. We have been expecting the government to increase our salary but they refused and there is nothing we can do about it.”

In 2019, President Buhari’s administration introduced a new minimum wage of N30,000.00 for civil servants across the country. While the new minimum wage has been implemented in Plateau State, the state government remained silent on that of the street cleaners.

While some critics of the policy in recent times have questioned why the government couldn’t find other better ways to help these widows, a former commissioner for environment Nankin Bagudu said the government initiated the policy in 2007 to attract tourism by keeping the streets clean.

Bagudu explained that “The concept was to get the streets of the state clean to boost tourism and improve the sanitary conditions of the state in a way to attract foreign investors and tourists. We started it at the state capital and subsequently extended the street cleaning to all 17 local government headquarters.

“As of the year 2007 when we started the policy, the minimum wage was ₦7,500.00 (Seven Thousand and Five Hundred Naira only). So, our government resolved that since they are not civil servants and their recruitments cannot be subjected to civil service rules and procedures, it means they are not pensionable and not entitled to gratuity. Hence, we resolved they should be paid ₦8,000.00, that is N500.00 higher than the minimum wage then based on the understanding that they are not entitled to pension and gratuity.

“At the time the administration of Jonah Jang wound up in 2015, the population of street cleaners had grown to 5,000.

“It appears the state government has pegged the wages of these widows to ₦7,500 irrespective of the economic situation of the country. I, therefore, consider the government as irresponsible over its inability to increase the wages of these widows.”

Also reacting to the situation was state Commissioner for Environment Elisha Bitrus Shehu, who said “Recently, Governor Simon Lalong approved the increment of the salary of these street cleaners from ₦8,000.00 to N15,000.00. The commissioner confirmed that the payment of the new wage to the widows was meant to commence from February 2023, however, even in April, the widows were yet to receive the new salary.”

Speaking about the ages of these widows, the commissioner said, “As you know, these women who were engaged 16 years ago, would have been younger then. However, the government gave them the freedom to bring their daughter or granddaughter to replace them if they feel too weak to continue with the work. This is to ensure that the little stipend they are receiving remains. We have told them that they can swap employment by bringing anyone they like. But in spite of that, some of the aged widows prefer to do the work by themselves. This does not mean the government is compelling them to do the work by themselves. So, the government cannot be said to be insensitive to the condition of these widows, we do, but the widows have their choices to make.”

However, contrary to the commissioner’s stand, the cleaners were reported to have said they are being owed two months’ salary arrears at the old rate of ₦8,000 and there is no indication of any hike according to them.