MINIMUM WAGE: We’re not afraid of upward review…only how to pay —Govs

The Nigerian Governors Forum has said the problem it has with the issue of minimum wage is not about it being reviewed upward but how to meet up paying the agreed amount.

The chairman of the forum and Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz Yari, stated this while briefing journalists on the outcome of the forum meeting held on Wednesday in Abuja.

He based his argument on the situation where many states are struggling to pay the current N18,000 minimum wage, with some of them only managing to pay 35 per cent, some 50 per cent and some having salary arrears.

Noting that the governors were not against any upward review of salaries, or against the Nigerian Labour Congress to get minimum wage reviewed, he said: “The problem of state is the capacity to pay what is agreed. As we are talking today, we are struggling with N18, 000. Some of the states are paying 35 per cent, some 50 per cent and still some states have salary arrears.

“So, it is not about only reviewing it but how we are going to get the resources to cater for it.”

He explained that the forum invited the National President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, to brief it on states ’performance in the use of London and Paris Club refunds.

The Federal Government had disbursed the fund to states and asked them to use larger percentage of the money to pay workers’ salaries.

But Yari noted that while some states recorded some progress, others still owe arrears .

“So, we invited the National President of NLC to give us details on how some states performed. Some other states that are not up to date, where they are.

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“So, they have signed Memorandum of Understanding with the NLC at the national level and their representative in states on when they are going to overcome the issue of salary arrears.

“That has been done and it has been taken to the Central Bank Governor to ensure that those states were also paid.”

 

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