The Borno State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (BOSCHMA) has introduced stipends for its staff to cushion the hike in transport fares due to the total removal of fuel subsidies by the federal government.
The executive secretary of the agency, Saleh Abba-Kaza, announced the development in a meeting with the staff on Monday in Maiduguri.
“Following the recent fuel subsidy removal, we have come to realise that most, if not all, our staff are struggling to survive the ripple effect. It is a known fact that commercial motorists have increased transport fares by at least 300 per cent,” stated Mr Abba-Kaza. “But in spite of the financial difficulties, you didn’t relent in availing yourselves of work regularly and timely.”
He added, “On this note, the management of BOSCHMA has come up with a palliative for all staff by providing a monthly stipend to cushion the effect of the rise in transport fare. The lower or junior staff will receive N10,000 monthly in addition to your salary, while the middle cadre and senior staff will get a monthly increase of N15,000 and N20,000, respectively.”
Reiterating the commitment of the agency to staff welfare, Mr Abba-Kaza said that the agency had also established a creche within the organisation to support nursing mothers.
”The agency now has a creche so that nursing mothers can be close to their babies at all times, especially those who can not afford private ones,” he said.
The executive secretary, who promised to prioritise training and retraining of staff, said 25 per cent of the agency’s budget since inception has been dedicated to human resources development.
Meanwhile, the NNPC has increased the fuel price to N617 per litre as against the N517 pump price it announced a few weeks ago.
NAN
