Deductions in the salaries of workers on Kano State government’s payroll will be temporary, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has said.

The salaries of public officials in Kano State were deducted in November and December last year.

But the government yesterday reaffirmed its commitment to the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage for civil servants, explaining that the deductions was a temporary measure informed by the drop in federal allocation and dwindling internally generated revenue occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ganduje, in a statement by Information Commissioner Malam Muhammad Garba, noted that the deduction was necessary to keep the government going in the face of the prevailing economic recession in the country.

Garba, who was reacting to media reports about civil servants’ salary cuts in Kano state, told workers that the decision taken by the state government was in their interest.

The statement reads: “The state government took the measure instead of contemplating on not paying, or paying half salary or in batches as done in other states.

“A similar temporary measure was taken, including cut in the allowances for all political appointees in its administrative structure, during the first wave of the pandemic in the country between March and July, last year.

“The measure (salary cut) was however, withdrawn soon after the virus situation improved.

“In this case too, as soon as the state of affairs improves, the state government would not hesitate to pay workers their full salaries.”

The commissioner called for support and cooperation of the entire workforce, urging them to bear the situation and ignore rumours on the matter.