The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Sokoto State chapter, has dismissed reports alleging that civil servants who benefitted from the state government’s motorcycle loan scheme were subjected to excessive salary deductions.
State NLC Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Aliyu, popularly known as Jungle, described the rumours as “malicious, misleading, and deliberately concocted to incite workers against the government.”
Addressing journalists in Sokoto on Sunday, Aliyu explained that loan beneficiaries were grouped according to the period they accessed the facility, with repayment timelines structured to conclude in June, July, or, at the latest, August 2025.
“By August, all deductions would have been fully settled. There is no basis for suspicion or allegations of unlawful salary cuts,” he assured.
He stressed that deductions were being managed directly by the Sokoto State Ministry of Finance in line with the agreed repayment schedule, while the NLC continued to monitor the process to ensure fairness and accountability.
“The NLC in Sokoto is fully alive to its responsibility. We have not recorded any case of over-deduction. Everything remains consistent with the repayment plan agreed upon,” Aliyu said.
Reaffirming the Congress’s commitment to defending workers’ rights, the chairman emphasized that the NLC would resist any attempt to exploit or shortchange its members.
He further highlighted the motorcycle loan initiative as a welfare-driven intervention designed to ease transportation challenges facing civil servants, thereby enhancing mobility and productivity.
Aliyu urged beneficiaries to ignore “baseless and fabricated rumours” intended to erode trust between workers and government. He also commended the Sokoto State Government for introducing the scheme, describing it as timely relief amid rising transportation costs.
He called on workers to channel genuine grievances through recognized labour structures rather than relying on misinformation, assuring them that the NLC remains their “shield and voice” against any injustice.
“The era of unchecked abuse of workers’ welfare in Sokoto is over,” Aliyu declared, vowing that the NLC will remain vigilant, proactive, and uncompromising in safeguarding the interests of civil servants across the state.
