Thirty-six States Governors have said that they can no longer pay the N18,000 minimum wage to workers owing to the poor state of the economy.salaries
Rising from a crucial meeting on that ended at the early hours of Thursday at the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja under the umbrella of Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, the governors said that the dwindling prices of oil had drastically affected their States’ income.
Specifically, they said that the burden of the wage was lighter when oil sold at $126 as against the current $41 per barrel.
They therefore sought to have audience with President Muhammadu Buhari on the economy, resolving that the only way out of the quagmire was to diversify the economy to agriculture and mining.
Reading the communique issued at the end of the meeting, the Chairman of the Forum and governor of Zamfara state, Abdulaziz Yari hinted that the Forum also backed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over the N2.1trillion sanction on MTN.
According to him, the governors agreed that the fine must be paid in full.
He said that they received briefing from the Acting Executive Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NCC, Professor Umar Dambata who explained the matter to them.
He 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 more especially the political office holders’ salaries and other overhead expenses.
“The situation is no longer the same when we were asked to pay N18,000 minimum wage, when oil price was $126 (per barrel) and continued paying N18,000 minimum wage when the oil is $41 and the source of government expenditure is from oil, and we have not seen prospects in the oil industry in the near future.
“We will diversify our economy in the area of agriculture and mining. But at the same time, we should understand our situation where some of us (states) today are taking N100million take home (monthly allocation) and then have salaries in particular of over N2billion to pay.
“We therefore agreed here to take this suggestion to NEC in our meeting tomorrow (Thursday) so that we can be able to find ways to tackle this problem.
“And we are looking at coming together to discussing with Mr. President and his team, with governors, technocrats and experts in the economy to see how we can tackle our troubled situation. We are working harder to deal with it.
“Hence the MTN has accepted that they committed the offense and has apologised, and they are looking for leniency, we the governors forum decided to support the NCC to abide by the laws of the land and the laws of our land do not not give leniency to deliberate offense to our nation.”
Yari also revealed that the forum also received a presentation from the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) which will help in boosting mechanised agriculture and improve small and medium businesses especially in the rural communities. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
Some people will still blame Buhari for this one now. Let me just keep quiet and read comments. Lol
ReplyDeleteI don't know what planet u came from, which school u attended or if u have brains at all, blame me. As the president, he should be blamed, after all GEJ was blamed by these lousy governors especially the northern governors for the reduction in monthly allocations to states, rather than blame the dwindling oil price.
DeleteNo we will blame the governor. Olodo Emilia. I thought buhari said he will perform magic and turn around the economy. What's holding him. Aboki
DeleteEmilia you must be a bad and bias girl. I have being reading your 'APC' sided comment. But the same Emilia would have insulted Jonathern for this reason. Shame!
DeleteOne thing I knw is that it would have been worst if PDP were to b in govt now. All these started during GEJ regime. And I bliv GMB will nt allow that to happen
DeleteCut your wages, bonuses and security votes and pay workers. They are not dogs to live on such poor pay
ReplyDeleteUseless bunch of fools.
ReplyDeleteMy Guy i support your adjective. They are really useless for them to even have the guts to say that out when the stupid so called Governors dont touch their fat salaries and depend on the state for everything.
DeleteGovernors are in no way better than the civil servants especially the teachers. If #18000 minimum wage is too much to pay then the governors should collect #20000 minimum wage, pay for their electricity, security, hospital bill and the school fees of their children, pay for fuel use and every other bills then they will know that #18000 minimum wage for people who pay for everything used is nothing. They should find a way of raising fun for civil servants payment
ReplyDeleteNo sense
ReplyDeletePeople r der suffering, some states didn't Implement d 18,000 minimum wage. We have bn fighting for the implementation. So from no where u want to cut off, d little money will earn. We r payed in grade levels, datz d least pay workers. Der r htss, cntss n odas. We will b In d same grade level but der salaries r x 5 of ur salary. Cut d salaries for the house of Representatives, and house of assembly n reduce d security, and all d governors followers. But no d poor masses who r suffering to survive.we have to pay for our children school fees. Most of our salaries r spent on school fees. D salary dat don't even last for 3days. Because it is not enough. Nigerians have turned to beggars bcos d salary is not enough.. N u want to create more problems for poor masses. D people enjoy salary r dos in federal level. But in state level is sufferness. Pls we voted u to reduce our problems not creating more. Or step down for dos who can work for us n reason with us
ReplyDeleteThe solution is cutting down on expenses in political offices and there will be enough to meet the needs of other Nigerians, including a minimum wage of 18000 or even more.
ReplyDeleteThis situation puts the five major oil-bearing states of Niger Delta in sharp relief. Since before independence, we had been feeding Nigeria. During the Oil Protectorate days, our palm produce financed other regions of the entity now called Nigeria. Eventually, Nigeria had to be fused into one in order to redistribute the proceeds from Niger Delta. Again, since the discovery of oil, we have been feeding the entire Nigeria. Is it not a shame for other regions to be unable to pay a mere 18,000 Naira minimum wage simply because oil price has fallen? Not even one single state can stand on its feet after 55 five years in existence? A human who has spent 55 years on earth would have finished school, left his/her parents, got married, produced children and have grand children. What have Nigerian states done so far with the monies we nurtured them with? Unfortunately, no Niger Delta State Governor so far has taken advantage of our endowment, else we should have by now been throwing worse tantrums than the resource-poor Biafrians whose directionless agitation for an enclave defies logic. Oh God, let oil prices fall to ten Dollars par barrel. Amen!
ReplyDeleteAmen
Deletethey can be paid billions monthly but can even pay 18000 dat they use to buy recharge card on their phones. stupid people
DeleteEverything is wrong, which way Nigeria?
ReplyDeleteThe candid advice for any State Governor that can not cope with the meagre N18, 000 minimum wage is to simply resign or be forced to do so.
ReplyDeleteLeadership is not by force. Let them just resign and have their peace instead of remaining in power and messing up governance. Their huge security votes, overheads, travel allowances, etc is not seen as unsustainable, it is only workers peanut that is unsusteinable. Bunch oloburuku!
If this ain't change I wonder what is, Emilia make sure you comment dnt believe the cats cut your tongue.
ReplyDeleteMost of these governors are not fit to rule! Does the same reason given affects their own money?
ReplyDeleteCancer is what Allah will take to fight them one by one. They have money to travel abroad for medical check up. But N18000/= is too much for those doing the hard jobs for these careless people.
But you people are supporting 1 trillion naira fine on MTN not minding if people loose their jobs.
ReplyDeleteYOU CAN NO LONGER PAY 18000 FOR THE PEOPLE THAT VOTED YOU IN IS THE MONEY YOUR OWN BUT YOU KNOW HOW MUCH you take every month as your salary and allowance, but why is it that one you get to that place you do not want to help and you do not want to leave the position, if your salary is 18000 will you still be in that position will you even want such position. instead of you to think of how to improve lives all you do is how to reduce it, and in the process enriching your self
ReplyDelete