We can no longer pay N18,000 minimum wage, Govs cry out

ABUJA – 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.
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.