KANO State Executive Council has granted approval for the implementation of a new minimum wage for academic and non-academic staff of the two-state owned universities with a monthly release of N49,695,509.26.
The council, however, said that accumulated arrears from the time of the approval of the new salary structure to date would be determined pending improvement of the current financial situation in the state.
The state commissioner for information, Malam Muhammad Garba, announced this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the council meeting, held at Africa House, Government House, Kano.
According to him, the state was among the first states to approve the new minimum wage, paying N30,600, however, the state since November 2020 could not pay the minimum wage, attributing it to a fall in monthly allocation from the federation account.
Malam Garba disclosed that the two institutions, Yusuf Maitama Sule University and Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil would receive a monthly allocation of N24,560,479.72 million and N25,135,029.54 million respectively for the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary Structure II (CONUASS II) and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure II (CONTISS II).
He disclosed that the council also approved the award of contract for the supply and installation of two 1,500 KVA generating sets at Watari 75mld Water Treatment Plant to address acute water supply shortage to the towns and villages served by the treatment plant.
Malam Garba noted that the contract, which is worth N355,027,831.20 million was awarded to Messrs Mantrac Nigeria Limited for the treatment plant designed to serve Watari-Kano Pipeline, Watari-Bagwai Pipeline and Watari-Tsanyawa pipeline each with separate pumping outlet.
The commissioner also disclosed that approval has been given by the council for the release of 11 resident doctors to pursue the residency training programme in different fields of specialization at various teaching hospitals in the state.
Malam Garba stated that the medical doctors were on permanent and pensionable appointment under the State Hospitals Management Board and were able to secure admissions with either Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital or Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital for the residency programme.
He said the training programme was to enable the medical officers to graduate as consultants in their various fields of specialization under the state government sponsorship of the bonding policy that also stipulates the payment of monthly salary and annual project/book allowance of N372,000.00 for the duration of the programme.
The commissioner further disclosed that the state has also approved the creation of an additional department at the state Contributory Healthcare Management Board to handle the processing of claims for a fee from facilities without using a health maintenance organization.
Malam Garba hinted that the measure saves the agency substantial amount of resources and to equally comply with Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and the National Health Act which prohibits the engagement of third-party administrator to handle the claim processing.
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