Kaduna: Newly recruited nurses lament over unpaid 8 months salaries

Over 200 health workers recruited by the Kaduna State Government in June last year have lamented that they have not been paid for eight months.

News Telly recalls that the state government in 2023 recruited over 200 nurses on grade level seven, who were posted to general hospitals across the state.

But, according to the nurses, they have worked for eight months without pay.

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They were paid for only three months, February, March and April.

According to them, the amount they were paid during the time was less than the amount written on their appointment letters.

One of the nurses, who did not wish to be named, said: “We have not been paid our 8 months salary arrears which we worked for because we started work in June 2023 but started receiving salary from February 2024.

“We have single mothers and divorcees among us who fend for themselves and their kids. One can only imagine the stress they go through to provide for their family.”

He begged Governor Uba Sani to intervene to make sure they fully receive their pending arrears soon, adding that some of them posted to rural areas had to pay for rent, feeding, and transportation.

Another affected midwife, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she had been struggling to get to her workplace at Kakuri.

According to her, she spends N1,400 to and from her community to the workplace daily.

“Almost all my salary goes to transportation and the work burden is too demanding. Let them pay us our 8 months arrears and increase our salary because the burden is too much on us,” she said.

The Chairman of National Association of Nurses and Midwife, Kaduna Chapter, Ishaku Yakubu, confirmed the unpaid salary arrears.

“We are aware but we are pursuing their arrears for them because I have gone to the office of Head of Service to talk about it,” he said.