JOS, Nigeria – For the past 16 years, the streets of Jos have been kept clean by a cadre of widowed women, a program initiated by the Jonah Jang administration in 2007.
However, these women, some as old as 80, are voicing their grievances over poor pay, late payments, and challenging working conditions.
While the initiative was initially celebrated as a means to provide widows with financial support, criticisms have emerged over the years, particularly about the treatment of these women.
Many of these women, who earn a meager N8,000 per month, have raised concerns over the low pay, lack of timely payment, and the hardships they face due to their age.
Mrs. Titi Musa, a pioneer staff of the ministry, shared her experience with journalists on Friday, April 28, 2023. “I have been doing this job since its inception because I have no one else to take care of me. The salary is poor, and in some months, they don’t pay us at all. I have three jobless children to take care of, so I need to do something.”
Echoing her sentiment, Mrs. Keziah John, another street cleaner, added, “It’s been 11 years now since I joined the street cleaners, and my salary is still N8,000 per month.”
Critics argue that the government should provide better welfare for these widows, particularly the elderly ones, who shouldn’t have to sweep streets to earn a living. They also point out that the widows’ plight is highly visible, generating sympathy and criticism daily.
Nankin Bagudu, former commissioner for the environment who helped launch the program, defended the original concept, arguing it aimed to keep the streets clean to boost tourism and attract foreign investors.
He explained that the N8,000 stipend, which was slightly above the minimum wage of N7,500 at the time, was deemed fair since the widows weren’t subject to civil service rules and pensions.
Despite a new minimum wage of N30,000 introduced by President Buhari’s administration in 2019, the widows’ pay remained stagnant. This has prompted accusations of insensitivity towards the socio-economic well-being of the aged widows against the Simon Lalong’s administration.
Elisha Bitrus Shehu, the State Commissioner for Environment, recently announced an approved salary increase to N15,000, starting from February 2023. However, as of April, the widows haven’t received the new salary and are owed two months’ worth of arrears at the old rate.
Shehu defended the administration, stating, “As you know, these women were engaged 16 years ago, they would have been younger then. Government gave them the freedom to bring their daughter or granddaughter to replace them if they feel too weak to continue with the work. This does not mean the government is compelling them to do the work by themselves.”
Despite Shehu’s words, the reality on the streets tells a different story. These women are not only battling low wages and delayed payments, but they also lack protective gear, which further exacerbates the difficult conditions under which they work.
The growing criticism casts a shadow over the future of this program and the welfare of the women it purports to support.
