Minimum Wage: List Of Governors That Are Yet To Agree On Paying 70k

It is no longer a news that the President Bola Tinubu has approved N70,000 as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing State House correspondents after a meeting Mr Tinubu held with labour leaders in his office at Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Festus Osifo, who also spoke at the briefing, confirmed that the leadership of the two unions are positively inclined towards the new wage, but that they will call a meeting of their National Executive Committees and table it.

However, Dtruth Insights has gathered list of state governors that are yet to agree on paying 70,000 as the new minimum wage.

Delta State

The Delta State Governor, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori is yet to express willingness to pay the 70,000 naira minimum wage.

The Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Kingsley Emu, said that the decision on wage increment is “a complex situation requiring a complex resolution”.

He, however, expressed confidence that the state governor, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, “will in his wisdom do the appropriate thing”.

While hoping for the intervention of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) in the matter, Emu said the situation might not be different from what obtained during the last wage increase where some states were able to pay and others were unable.

He said: “I cannot speak for Delta State whether we are able to pay or not. My business is to advise, because what goes into that consideration is numerous. It is not spontaneous, it is not emotive, it is practical.

“How are you going to do the roads or the people who do not have the opportunity to earn a living? It is a complex situation that requires a complex resolution. It requires multi dimensional skills to resolve.

“I am sure the NGF will be able to speak for themselves, and we saw the last wage increase when some states were able to pay N30,000 and others could not. We are likely going to see that situation again.”

The federal government, he said, should focus on real value of the naira rather than salary increase, noting that states with high wage bills cannot cope with the new wage increase otherwise resources meant for development will be diverted to paying only salaries.

Delta State Commissioner for Information, Dr Ifeanyi Osouza, however, assured that Delta being a labour-friendly state would not take the back seat in the matter once the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) takes a decision.

Osouza said: “The President just reached an agreement with Labour yesterday. The FG is yet to come up with when the new minimum wage will take effect.

“Besides, the governors at their level are yet to take a position on this matter. But I can assure you that Delta, as a labour-friendly state, will not take the back seat in this matter.

“Recall that Delta State was one of the first states in the country to implement the 30,000 minimum wage in 2019.

“You can rest assured that our governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, is committed to the welfare of workers in the state.”

Imo State

Imo State Commissioner for Labour, Ford Ozumba, said the state government will pay the new N70,000 minimum wage only if other states adjust to the new wage bill.

“If other states will adjust to pay the new minimum wage, Imo State will do same,” Ozumba told The Nation yesterday.

Although he declined to disclose the minimum wage being paid to Imo workers, Ozumba assured that the state government would not lag behind other states in implementing the new minimum wage.

It was gathered that Imo State had been paying its workers a minimum of N40,000 as against the official N30,000 before the recent industrial dispute between organised labour and the federal government.

Ebonyi State

Ebonyi State Government said it would await the outcome of ongoing consultations before taking a decision on the new minimum wage.

The Commissioner for Information, Jude Okpor, who stated this yesterday, noted that states have varying financial capabilities.

He said: “You will agree with me that the financial capabilities of states vary; same as the different tiers of government.

“Ebonyi State, as one of the federating units in the country, will await the result of the ongoing consultation with the critical stakeholders in the comity of states before coming up with an official position.”

Kano State

The Kano State Government said yesterday that it was studying the agreement reached between Labour and the Federal Government on the new minimum wage before coming out with a concrete position. The state government currently pays N30,000 as minimum wage to its workers.

“Kano will study the agreement (between the federal government and labour) and come up with a position,” the state’s Commissioner for Information, Baba Dantiye, told The Nation. The commissioner added that the state is not owing its civil servants any monthly salaries.

Abia State

Abia State governor, Dr. Alex Otti, will be meeting with the state’s economic team to review the new federal government approved minimum wage.

This was disclosed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, in a telephone interview.

According to Ukoha, the state government received the news of the new minimum wage like every other Nigerian.

He said that the governor with the state’s Accountant General and the Commissioner for Finance would review the new minimum wage.

Abia is one of the states in the country that could not pay the ₦30,000 that was previously the minimum wage.

It was gathered that the previous administration was paying the sum of ₦20,100, which includes transportation and other allowances, as against the approved ₦30,000 minimum wage.

The governor of the state had during his meeting with the two workers’ unions, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) at the weekend, estimated salary arrears accruing to workers at about ₦15.5bn.

The governor, who stated that he was going to apply for virement from the Abia State House of Assembly, assured the labour unions that he was going to pay the arrears in tranches