Governors have said they cannot
afford the N30,000 minimum wage demanded by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).
They said this in reaction to the
allegation of Peter Ozo-Eson, general secretary of NLC, that governors who are
against N30,000 minimum wage took such stance because they diverted the bailout
funds paid to them by the federal government.
He said the union expected the
Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and other related Offences Commission
(ICPC) to probe the governors.
Reacting, Abdulrazaque
Bello-Barkindo, head, media and public affairs of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) described
the comment as “misleading and in bad faith.”
The statement said the governors
would have been happy to pay the amount demanded by the NLC but financial
constraints being experienced in some states would make it impossible to do so.
“The Nigeria Governors’ Forum
(NGF) wishes to make it categorically clear that the insinuations by the
Nigeria Labor Congress, NLC, through an interview granted by its Secretary
General, Peter Eson, that governors are refusing to pay the N30.000 national
minimum wage as demanded by NLC, is not
only mischievous, but misleading and in bad faith,” the statement read.
“Governors have collectively made
it abundantly clear that they would have been happy to pay workers the N30,000
but times are hard and because of financial constraints and other limitations,
many states cannot afford it, for now.
“The N22,500 was arrived at,
after extensive deliberations among all 36 governors, outlining their financial
capacities and liquidity, considering the economic situation of the country and
the states’ other obligations to the majority of the people of their various
domains.
“Governors also emphasized that
N22,500 is a ‘baseline threshold’, meaning that any governor who can pay more
than N22.500 is therefore free to go ahead and do so.
“To put the records straight,
governors are not under any obligation, by law, to show their books to the NLC.
But they have, in their pursuit of the understanding of the union, done so, not
once, but several times over, with a view to letting NLC know that what they
are asking for is neither realistic nor sustainable. Yet, NLC remains adamant
that its will must be done, or the heavens will fall.”
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Good day all Nigerians, especially Nigerian Governors Forum.Happy new year.pls. l humbly wants to ask the Governors regards to payment of National minimum wage that has becomes something else.are you not more or less Nigerian workers that earns same salary irrespective of your status.if the FG urged you to pay #30000 and you find it difficult can you not cry on to the FG to bail you out after all FG has done such to you of recent with out you asking.beside what of yourFG allocation that comes to you on monthly basis irrespective of your state revenue generation put all this together can't you still pay your salary and other workers? Pls.stop deceiving your fellow workers you are all Nigerian workers
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