The Kano State Government has constituted a high-level Technical Committee to consider the review and implementation of the newly approved remuneration package for academic staff of state-owned tertiary institutions.
The committee was inaugurated by the Head of Civil Service, Kano State, Hajiya Bilkisu Shehu Maimota, who said the initiative was approved by the Executive Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, to critically appraise requests received from academic staff of state-owned tertiary institutions, concerning the implementation of the reviewed remuneration package approved by the Federal Government.
Maimota said the composition of the committee was based on proven competence, exceptional professional standing, merit, professional prowess and demonstrable dexterity in handling complex policy and administrative assignments.
She charged members to approach the assignment with diligence, objectivity and a high sense of responsibility, urging them to work assiduously to deliver a comprehensive report capable of guiding the government towards taking a well-informed decision on the matter in accordance with applicable guidelines.
The Terms of Reference mandate the committee to collate, document and thoroughly review all requests, memoranda and supporting documents submitted by affected institutions, as well as scrutinise relevant Federal Government approvals, circulars and extant policy instruments governing the reviewed remuneration package.
The committee is also expected to determine the applicability of the package to different categories of academic staff in state-owned institutions, identify disparities in structures, grade levels and job classifications, and undertake a comparative analysis of existing remuneration structures against the newly approved Federal Government package.
Another key aspect of the assignment is the assessment of the financial implications of implementation, including detailed recurrent personnel costs and projections of the immediate and medium-term impact on the state’s annual wage bill and budget.
The committee will also identify areas requiring harmonization or clarification and examine viable implementation options, including effective dates, phasing strategies, funding mechanisms and transitional arrangements designed to mitigate possible fiscal pressures.
The committee is further mandated to recommend necessary administrative, financial, legislative and policy measures that may facilitate smooth implementation, should the government approve the package.
The Technical Committee comprises 20 members drawn from relevant ministries, government institutions, state-owned tertiary institutions, the State Payroll Standing Committee, the Joint Consultative Forum (JCF) and the Office of the Head of Civil Service.
The committee is chaired by Hon. Ali Haruna Makoda, Commissioner for Education, while Hon. Musa Sulaiman Shanono, Commissioner for Planning and Budget, and Hon. Ismail Aliyu Dambazawa, Commissioner for Finance, serves as members.
Other members are Dr. Baffa Sani Gaya, Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour Matters; Auwalu Umar Sanda, Chairman, State Payroll Standing Committee; Jamila Magaji Abdullahi, Accountant-General of the State; and Dr. Abubakar Umar Farouk, Rector, Kano State Polytechnic.
The committee also includes Dr. Kabiru Ahmed Gwarzo, Provost, Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kumbotso; Dr. Ali Tamasi Mu’az, Ag. Provost, Aminu Kano College of Islamic Studies; Dr. Hassan Ibrahim, Ag. Provost, Audu Bako College of Agriculture, Dambatta (ABCOA); and Dr. Muhammad Auwal Farouk, Provost, Kano State College of Education and Preliminary Studies (KACEPS).
Other institutional representatives are Dr. Muttaka Dahiru, Provost, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso College of Advanced and Remedial Studies, Tudun Wada; Dr. Abdullahi Asiru, Provost, Yusuf Maitama Sule College of Education and Advanced Studies, Ghari; and a representative of the Joint Consultative Forum (JCF).
The Permanent Secretary, Establishment, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Abba Adamu Danguguwa, serves as Member/Secretary, while Safiyya Ali Suleiman, Director, Administration and General Services, OHCS, is Assistant Secretary I.
Also serving as members of the secretariat are Sulaiman Adamu Hodi, Director, Salary and Wages, OHCS, as Assistant Secretary II; Musa Namadi Karefa, Deputy Chairman, State Payroll Standing Committee, as Assistant Secretary III; Ismail Gwadabe Ali, Deputy Secretary, OHCS, as Co-Secretary; and Kabiru Habibu Kyauta, Principal Assistant Secretary, OHCS, as Co-Secretary.
Speaking on the readiness of the Office of the Head of Civil Service to support the exercise, Danguguwa assured the committee of the office’s commitment to expediting necessary actions and providing the required support to ensure the desired outcome.
The committee has been given three weeks from the date of its formal inauguration to complete its assignment and submit a comprehensive report to the Office of the Head of Civil Service for onward transmission to the Executive Governor.