By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
Tension is rising among cleaners and security staff contracted to the Jigawa State House of Assembly, as they cry out over 10 months of unpaid wages — a situation they say has plunged their families into hardship and uncertainty.
Speaking with National Update in Dutse, several of the affected workers — numbering over 70 — said they have not received any salary since January 2025, despite working continuously until mid-year.
“Since January, we haven’t been paid a single kobo. We still go to work, but we can’t feed our families anymore. Nobody is telling us what’s happening,” one worker said, visibly distressed.
They explained that payments were consistent until December 2024, when the private firm contracted to manage sanitation and security abruptly stopped paying. Initially, they were told the delay would be resolved soon, but months passed with no change.
“By March, we were told to be patient — that government had not paid the company. Later, we heard the firm had been replaced. We resumed under the new arrangement, but still, nothing has been paid,” another worker recounted.
Despite their silence out of fear of losing their jobs, the workers said the situation has become unbearable and are now appealing directly to Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Haruna Aliyu, and Clerk of the Assembly, Barr. Musa Abubakar, to intervene.
Efforts by National Update to reach representatives of the contracting company proved unsuccessful, as phone calls went unanswered and no operational office could be traced within Dutse.
When contacted, Clerk of the Assembly, Barr. Abubakar, said he was not aware of the issue, clarifying that the affected workers are not direct staff of the legislature.
“They are employees of a private contractor, not of the House. No one has officially brought the matter to me,” he said.
Investigations by National Update revealed that the firm responsible for the workers’ engagement is allegedly owned by an aide to a top-ranking elected official in the state.
Findings also indicate that each of the workers earns N20,000 monthly, far below the N70,000 minimum wage recently agreed upon between the Jigawa State Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
As their plea for help echoes unanswered, many of the affected workers say they remain hopeful that the Speaker will step in to ensure justice and restore their long-denied earnings.
