The Taraba State Government has reduced the monthly allowance of workers under the Operation Keep Taraba Clean programme, popularly known as street sweepers, from ₦15,000 to ₦10,000, citing financial constraints and the need to accommodate newly recruited civil servants.
The Chairman of the Taraba State Environmental and Sanitation Agency, Hon. Illiya Kefas, announced the decision during a media briefing in Jalingo, explaining that the adjustment was approved following directives from Governor Agbu Kefas.
According to him, the state has experienced increased financial commitments following the recent recruitment of workers into the state and local government civil services, while revenue from the Federation Account has remained insufficient to meet growing obligations.
Kefas said the salary adjustment was part of measures aimed at sustaining the agency’s operations amid the prevailing fiscal challenges.
The affected workers, who were employed in 2023 under the sanitation programme, initially earned ₦20,000 per month before their allowance was reduced to ₦15,000 in 2024. Reports indicate that they received ₦10,000 for May 2026, reflecting the latest reduction.
Defending the decision, the agency chairman said workers who were dissatisfied with the new allowance were free to withdraw from the programme.
He explained that, in addition to paying the street sweepers, the agency is responsible for funding supervisors, coordinators, monitoring teams and casual workers across Taraba’s 16 local government areas, as well as financing sanitation and waste management operations statewide.
According to Kefas, balancing these responsibilities with available resources made the reduction unavoidable.
The decision has, however, attracted criticism and renewed concerns over the welfare of low-income workers, particularly at a time when many Nigerians are grappling with rising inflation and increasing living costs.
The latest development adds to growing discussions about the impact of economic pressures on public sector workers and the sustainability of social intervention and environmental sanitation programmes across the country.
