The Kano State House of Assembly has confirmed that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has the authority to extend the service years of any civil servant who has exceeded 60 years of age or 35 years of service, according to civil service regulations. The Assembly’s Public Relations Secretary, Kamaluddin Sani Shawai, made this known while providing further details about a letter sent to the Assembly by a lawyer, Barrister Usman Dan Abdullo, on January 6.
In the letter, Barrister Dan Abdullo requested the Assembly to take action against Governor Abba’s decision to grant an additional two years of service to certain government employees, including the Accountant of the State House of Assembly, the Head of Civil Service in Kano, and some staff members in the state’s judiciary, despite the law stipulating that civil servants must retire once they reach 60 years of age or have 35 years of service.

In his statement, Shawai explained that this is not the first time such a situation has occurred. According to him, even though various organizations have criticized the decision, with some taking the matter to court in search of an interpretation, he stated that this will not change the government’s stance.

Barrister Dan Abdullo, in his letter, claimed that the law the governor relied on violates Nigeria’s Constitution and the National Labor Act.