Grave diggers complain about lack of allowance in Kano Grave diggers and cemetery maintenance workers have complained about the low monthly ...

Grave diggers complain about lack of allowance in Kano

Grave diggers and cemetery maintenance workers have complained about the low monthly allowance of N3,000.

A grave digger at the Tudun Wada cemetery in Kano, Malam Suleiman Mohammed, told the BBC that they are sometimes paid less than N3,000, while the most recent allowance they were paid was N5,000.

The man, who has been working as a grave digger at the cemetery for over 30 years, said they had approached the Emir of Kano for an increase in their allowances, and were promised that they would look into it.

He said they were initially paid N1,000, before the increase, it was N5,000 and now it is N3,000 or N2,500.

According to him, sometimes it takes months before they are paid.

"Granny work is a difficult job," said Malam Suleiman, "because of the dangers involved, and it is a physically demanding job, so no matter how much they are paid, it will not be much."

The gravedigger complained that some miscreants use the cemetery to store weapons or alcohol, which often causes fires in the cemetery.

While some sometimes go to the cemetery to carry out ritualistic activities.

He called for their work to be improved by cleaning the cemetery, repairing its walls and installing lights.

The cemetery is used to bury women from about ten neighborhoods, which is why it is now full, and the old grave has to be dug up before a new one can be buried.