Second Term: Kaduna Govt Approves Six Months Maternity Leave for Female Public Servants
By Alex Uangbaoje Kaduna
Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir el-Rufai, has announced the approval of six months maternity leave for female public servants in the state.
The Governor disclosed this in his second term inauguration speech, on Wednesday in Kaduna.
“I am pleased to announce that just yesterday, our State Executive Council approved six months maternity leave for our female public servants.” He said.
el-Rufai, noted that the initiative was meant to encourage healthy development of infants through prolonged breastfeeding, among other benefits.
According to him, medical check-ups for children within the age of five is free, he therefore called on mothers in the state to take advantage of it.
“Mothers in our state are also reminded that children up to the age of five get free, regular medical check-ups in public hospitals. Please take advantage of this.
“In the health sector, the focus on strengthening and expanding primary care will continue. It is the best way to reduce maternal and infant mortality, and bring basic care closer to the people. Our commitment to universal health coverage will continue.
“Therefore, we shall accelerate the implementation of the Contributory Health Insurance Scheme as a priority programme. We will complete the supply chain transformation programme in the health sector that has improved the availability and reduced prices of drugs in our health facilities, we will also emphasize routine immunisation to reduce the impact of vaccine-preventable diseases on our children.” He added.
On Education, the Governor, said, “we began to reverse the legacy of neglect we inherited in education, starting the onerous task of upgrading the over 4200 public primary schools in the state.
“We are supplying school furniture to end the inherited embarrassment of pupils sitting on bare floors.
“Aside from fixing the learning environment, we took bold steps to improve teaching standards. We made basic education truly free and have made education free and compulsory for girls up to the end of senior secondary school.
“We will continue to fix existing schools and build new classrooms where necessary, and support our teachers to deliver decent public education.”
el-Rufai, pledged to continue the vigorous implementation of governance agenda of putting people first, saying, “during our first term, we signalled and then demonstrated that we stand firmly with ordinary people.
“We put the needs of ordinary people at the centre of governance. In education and health, we have shown a commitment with investments to expand the access of ordinary people to these public goods.”
