Street sweepers employed under Taraba State’s sanitation programme will now earn less after the state government approved a fresh salary reduction.
The Taraba State Government has reduced the monthly salary of workers under the Operation Keep Taraba Clean programme from N15,000 to N10,000.
The decision was confirmed by the Chairman of the Taraba State Environmental and Sanitation Agency, Hon. Illiya Kefas, during a media briefing in Jalingo, the state capital.
Kefas said the salary cut followed directives from Governor Agbu Kefas as the government seeks to cope with increasing financial commitments, especially after recruiting more workers into the state and local government civil service.
According to him, the state’s financial obligations have risen significantly in recent months, while allocations from the Federation Account have not been enough to meet the growing demands.
He explained that the government was forced to make difficult decisions to ensure it can continue paying workers and providing essential public services.
The affected workers, popularly known as street sweepers, were employed under the Operation Keep Taraba Clean programme to support sanitation activities across the state.
Their salaries have been reduced steadily over the last three years.
When the programme began in 2023, the workers earned N20,000 monthly. The amount was reduced to N15,000 in 2024, and has now been further cut to N10,000.
Reports show that workers received N10,000 as their May 2026 salary, confirming that the new pay structure has already taken effect.
Defending the decision, Kefas said the agency is facing serious financial challenges and must manage its limited resources carefully.
He explained that the agency is responsible not only for paying street sweepers but also for covering several sanitation-related expenses across Taraba State’s 16 local government areas.
According to him, these costs include payments to coordinators, supervisors, monitoring staff and casual workers, as well as expenses for waste evacuation and environmental sanitation exercises.
Kefas maintained that the salary reduction was necessary to keep the agency running.
He also stated that any worker who is not willing to continue under the new payment arrangement is free to leave the programme.
The decision has sparked concerns among residents and workers over the welfare of low-income earners in the state.
