The 36 state governors at a meeting yesterday, at the Old Banquet
Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja under the umbrella of Nigerian
Governors Forum, NGF, said that dwindling prices of oil has affected
their states income thereby making it difficult to pay the N18,000
minimum wage that was signed into law in March 2011 by former President
Goodluck Jonathan.
However, the Labour Union rejected the Gov’s stance saying that workers will shut down the Govt if the Governors don’t pay the minimum wage. The factional president of the NLC Ayuba Wabba said the Govs salaries were ridiculously high asking them to declare salaries their as approved by the Revenue and Fiscal Mobilisation Commission, that of their commissioners, advisers and others, their security votes and others. He also asked about the bloated overhead cost, inflated contracts by the Govs.
The Governors said it was easier to pay the minimum wage when oil sold at $126 as against the current $41 per barrel.
They, therefore, advised the President to diversify the economy towards agriculture and mining and any other lucrative source of income to improve the nation’s economy.
Reading the communique issued at the end of the meeting, Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari said:
However, the Labour Union rejected the Gov’s stance saying that workers will shut down the Govt if the Governors don’t pay the minimum wage. The factional president of the NLC Ayuba Wabba said the Govs salaries were ridiculously high asking them to declare salaries their as approved by the Revenue and Fiscal Mobilisation Commission, that of their commissioners, advisers and others, their security votes and others. He also asked about the bloated overhead cost, inflated contracts by the Govs.
The Governors said it was easier to pay the minimum wage when oil sold at $126 as against the current $41 per barrel.
They, therefore, advised the President to diversify the economy towards agriculture and mining and any other lucrative source of income to improve the nation’s economy.
Reading the communique issued at the end of the meeting, Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari said:
“We resolved that we must look at ways to enhance revenue generation and at the same time look at ways to cut our overhead costs, especially the political office holders’ salaries and other overhead expenses.