Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has suspended his Special Adviser on Salary and Pensions, Alhaji Bashir Ado, following an alleged premature announcement regarding the ₦70,000 minimum wage. The suspension was confirmed in a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Malam Bala Ibrahim, on Saturday in Dutse.
The suspension follows the circulation of a statement in the media claiming that the governor had approved a ₦70,000 minimum wage for workers, which the government found “embarrassing and premature.” Ibrahim clarified that the governor has not yet made any decisions, as the committee responsible for reviewing the minimum wage, headed by the Head of State Civil Service, has not completed its assignment or submitted its report.
In response to the incident, Governor Namadi has set up a committee, chaired by the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Bello Abdulkadir, to investigate the source and motives behind the statement. The committee, which includes the Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports, and Culture, Sagir Musa, and other officials, has been given two weeks to submit its findings.