Borno Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has approved the release of salaries and pensions for workers and retirees for the month of March even as Nigeria inches towards a complete lockdown in effort to control transmission of covid-19 (coronavirus) amongst citizens.
Borno’s workers and pensioners began to get credit alert from their bankers since Tuesday. The state may soon be cut off from air transport as the two airlines flying to Maiduguri: Max air and Azman, have announced suspension of flights from Friday, March 27 until April 11, 2020.
Zulum’s special adviser on public relations and strategy, Malam Isa Gusau confirmed the governor’s release of salaries.
Asked whether Zulum’s action was to prepare workers , pensioners and the local economy for possible lockdown, Mr Gusau said the approval was nothing new but rather sustaining the governor’s tradition of ensuring workers and and pensioners are paid latest 26th of every month.
“It is known to many that Governor Zulum sees payment of salaries as settling of debt by government for work done by workers. The governor does not regard salaries as achievement and it was with the same spirit that he approved and released the payment of salaries and pensions for March like previous months. The Governor recognizes that injecting more than two billion through salaries and pensions also helps the local economy of Borno and that is important to government. Many businesses depend on multiplier effects of these salaries and pensions” Gusau said.
The adviser said, governor Zulum urges citizens to remain calm in the midst of the global health crisis as there is still no cause for alarm.
“The Governor in collaboration with all stakeholders in the health and other relevant sectors, have adopted very firm measures that will by the grace of God, contribute significantly in keeping Borno absolutely free from Coronavirus” Isa Gusau said.
