Jigawa Assembly Cleaners, Security Staff Demand 10 Months Unpaid Wages
By: Ahmed Aminu, Dutse
Cleaners and security personnel at the Jigawa State House of Assembly have appealed to the Speaker to intervene over the non-payment of their 10 months wages.
Speaking to The Syndicate in Dutse, the state capital, some of the affected workers, who requested anonymity, said they had not received a “single kobo” since January.
They were engaged by a private him to work as cleaners and provide security at the Assembly complex.
“Since January this year, we have not been paid even a dime,” one of them said. “We have families and responsibilities. For 10 months now, not even one naira has been given to us, and there is no satisfactory explanation from anybody.”
They explained that payments were regular until December 2024, after which delays began without clarification.
“When January ended without pay, we thought it was a delay. By February and March, there was still no response. When we enquired, we were told to be patient and that everything would soon be fine.”
According to them, they continued working until the end of May, when, after another futile inquiry, they were told the company had not been paid by the government.
“When we heard that, we stopped going to work. Later, we were called back and informed that the government had changed the company. We resumed, but up to now, nothing has been paid. We are confused and don’t know what to do.”
The cleaners and security guards, therefore, appealed to the Speaker and the Clerk of the House, and other relevant authorities to intervene and ensure full payment of their entitlements without further delay.
Efforts by The Syndicate to reach officials of the company proved abortive, as all phone numbers provided were unreachable.
Attempts to trace the company’s operational office in Dutse also failed, as it has no known address or physical presence in the state capital.
When contacted, the Clerk of the House, Barrister Musa Abubakar, said he was not aware of the development.
“Nobody has contacted me, neither the workers nor the company. I hope you know they are not our employees. They work for a private contractor, and the issue is between them and their employer,” he said.
Investigations by The Syndicate revealed that the company is allegedly owned by an aide to a high-ranking elected official in the state.
Further findings also showed that the affected workers are over 70 in number and were being paid N20,000 monthly, far below the national minimum wage.
