Why Widows who sweep streets protested in Jos

As part of the efforts to boost tourism in Plateau State and to restore its lost glory in terms of cleanliness, the state government, five years ago, engaged the services of women, mostly widows to clean the streets of Jos, the state capital and some other major towns within the state.

The government specifically engaged the widows to provide means of livelihood for them. The initiative received massive commendation across the state, and as well as giving a boost to the image of the Jang-led administration. Most of the women later became Jang’s foot soldiers in their various localities during the 2011 gubernatorial election in appreciation of the government’s gesture towards them.

Investigations in recent times, however, revealed that the enthusiasm of the women to ensure cleanness of the state capital has continued to wane on a daily basis. Major streets such as Ahmadu Bello Way, Muritala Mohammed Way and some other roads within the metropolis were no longer swept as at when due while traders and owners of business premises indiscriminately dumped their waste on the roads with the expectation that the street sweepers would take care of such waste.

Recently, the street sweepers, mostly widows, trooped to the streets to protest non-payment of their three months’ salaries by the state government. The women, who carried leaves to show their displeasure, marched from the state secretariat to the government house in Ray Field to register their plight to the state governor.

Arewa’s findings among the women depicted that they took to the streets to protest non-payment of three months salaries and to tell those in authority the challenges confronting them in the course of carrying out their assignment.

One of the protesters, Mrs Janet Pam, a mother of three children, who said she lost her husband in 2011 during invasion of her village by gunmen suspected to be Fulani mercenaries, commended Governor Jonah Jang for engaging them, adding that they were protesting to let the governor know their predicament in the hands of those saddled with the responsibility of paying their salaries.

Said she: “The purpose of this protest is not to disparage the government, but to draw attention of the governor to our plight. In the past one year, our salaries have not been regular. Presently, we are being owed for three months and majority of us are widows and aged mothers who depend on the stipend to survive. We want Baba Jang to know what we are passing through because he might not be aware of our plight.”

The spokesperson of the protesters, Mrs Rose Chuwang, who said the monthly stipend of N8, 000 was last paid in July, stated that despite repeated appeals to the government authorities to offset the salaries, there was no positive response, hence the decision to march to the government house to register their complaint.

“Though the salary is small, but we depend on it to feed our families because majority of us are widows and aged women. The excuse has been no money; that Baba Jang has not released money. So we want to meet him and tell the governor what we are passing through. We know he will listen us; that is why we are protesting,” she said.

A cross section of people within Jos metropolis who spoke with Arewa enjoined the state government to consider the plight of the women, most of whom are widows and pay them the stipend as at when due to encourage them to keep the streets clean.

Mohammed Abdulahi, who deals in fabric and textile materials on Ahmadu Bello Way, said those employed to pack and sweep the streets no longer had the zeal to carry out their jobs like when they started. He urged the government to further motivate the sweepers and those packing the refuse to enable them discharge their responsibility.

“The stipend of N8, 000 per month is too small compared to the work they are doing on a daily basis and yet government is not paying them as at when due. Governor Jang should look into this and also consider the possibility of jerking up their take home every month,” he pleaded.

All efforts to see the State Commissioner for Environment proved abortive, but the women were seen on Wednesday waiting to be paid their salaries. One of them, identified as Mrs Jama’tu Ibrahim, said they were at the secretariat to collect one month salary as promised by the state government

Written by Isaac Shobayo for Nigerian Tribune