The Chairman of the Taraba State Environmental and Sanitation Agency, Hon. Illiya Kefas, has dismissed reports attributing the recent reduction in the salaries of members of the Operation Keep Taraba Clean programme, popularly known as street sweepers, to Governor Agbu Kefas.

Kefas clarified that the decision was an internal administrative measure taken by the agency to sustain its operations and meet its financial obligations, stressing that the governor did not direct the salary reduction.

Speaking on the controversy, the agency chairman said the adjustment became necessary due to the agency’s growing workforce and operational expenses across the state’s 16 local government areas.

According to him, the agency is responsible for managing a large number of personnel, including coordinators, supervisors, monitoring teams, and casual workers engaged in sanitation activities throughout the state.

“The arrangement was an internal decision to sustain the activities of the agency and not a directive from the governor,” he stated.

Kefas explained that the agency currently maintains 16 local government coordinators, including those in Ngada and Yantu, with salaries ranging from N100,000 to N200,000.

“We have 16 Local Government Coordinators, including Ngada and Yantu. We pay some N200,000, while the least among them earns N100,000. We also have a monitoring team,” he said.

He further disclosed that the agency employs supervisors across the state, with each receiving a minimum of N50,000 monthly.

“We also have supervisors. The least we pay them is N50,000 per person, and we have 10 of them,” he added.

The chairman noted that more than 100 casual workers are engaged by the agency across the 16 local government areas and that substantial resources are spent on their welfare and daily operations.

“There are more than 100 casual staff across the 16 local governments. We spend over N5 million on feeding the boys who work on a daily basis,” he said.

Kefas also revealed that team leaders supervising roadside sanitation exercises receive daily allowances, while significant funds are committed to waste evacuation, environmental sanitation, and other operational activities.

According to him, the agency’s financial commitments necessitated measures aimed at ensuring the continuity of its services without disrupting sanitation activities across the state.

The clarification comes amid public reactions to reports that the salaries of street sweepers had been reduced, with concerns raised about the welfare of low-income workers in the face of rising economic challenges (TRIBUNE)