Gombe tertiary institutions: Commissioner appeals for calm over two months unpaid salaries

Tertiary institution workers in Gombe State have been appealed upon to remain calm and understanding as the government is working assiduously to ensure that they got paid their outstanding two months salary.

The appeal by the Commissioner for Higher Education in Gombe State, Mr Meshack Audu Lauco who just assumed duties became necessary following the threat by workers in three of the State’s tertiary institutions to embark on an industrial action unless their September and October Salaries were paid without any further delays.

The Commissioner gave the assurance of payment of the salaries in an interview with some selected Journalists declaring that Government was not unaware of their situation adding that it is working round the clock to clear the salaries up to date.

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According to the Commissioner who had barely spent ten days in office, “the Ministry is aware of the situation based on the brief I got from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry. We are informed and already putting heads together and making concerted efforts to make sure they are paid their salaries”.

The Commissioner also assured that the State Governor, Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, is committed to quality education, as such, would not allow a situation where staff would be grumbling because of non-payment of salaries.

While reiterating the State Government’s commitment to improve the quality of the State-owned tertiary institutions by making them world-class, Meshack  Lauco said, ” I call on those who have not received their salaries in the last two months, and we are in the third month now, they should bear with us, Government would definitely pay them their salaries soonest”.

It will be recalled that there had been an uneasy calm within the staff of the three State-owned tertiary institutions who have not been paid their September and October salaries with November almost joining.

The affected schools are, Gombe State Polytechnic, Bajoga; Gombe State College of Legal and Islamic Studies, Nafada and Gombe State College of Health, Science and Technology, Kaltungo.