Kaduna compensates families of workers killed in bomb blast

• Labour lauds El-Rufai’s gesture
Kaduna State Government has compensated families of civil servants who lost their lives during the bomb blast that rocked Zaria last year with the sum of N29.1 million, just as organised Labour commended Governor Nasir El-Rufai for the gesture.

El-Rufai, while presenting cheques to the representatives of the families of the victims at a ceremony held at the Government House yesterday, condoled with them on the loss of their loved ones.

He urged citizens in the state to be security conscious.In a statement by Labour chief and Secretary General of Textiles Workers Union, Issa Aremu, he said: “Organised Labour in Kaduna commends Governor Nasir El-Rufai for his demonstrated sensitivity in paying N29.1 million as compensation to the families of workers killed in the Zaria bomb blast nine months ago, during verification of workers.”

Twenty people died in the incident on July 7, 2015 at the premises of Sabongari Local Council Secretariat in Zaria.Aremu added that: “Those affected were mostly local council workers from Lere and Kauru who travelled to Zaria for the mandatory verification of their employment status ordered by the governor.”

According to him: “Labour acknowledges what it describes as sensitivity of the governor to the demands of trade unions in the state that families of the 20 dead workers be adequately compensated.

“We agree with the governor that the group life insurance death benefit cheque presented to the families of the deceased cannot replace lives, but it nonetheless posthumously acknowledged the dignity of labour.”
He advised the state government to apply proactive measures to prevent a reoccurrence of the incident, especially on workers.