The Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, has debunked reports that the state governors are at logger heads with the federal government on the issue of new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
Governor Sule clarified that there is no disagreement on issues about the new minimum wage as the state governors are awaiting the recommendation of the tripartite committee set up to review and recommend a new minimum wage.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday after a meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima in Abuja, Sule added that he is not aware of any state governor that is unable to pay the current ₦30,000 minimum wage to workers.
Regarding some state governors who increased workers’ salaries recently, the Nasarawa State Governor said the law recommends a minimum, and nothing stops a Governor with the means and peculiarity to pay above the minimum figures.
He clarified that reports in some quarters that other governors are unsettled by the decision of the Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, to raise the minimum wage in his state to ₦70,000 are unfounded.
Governor Sule further explained in his chat with journalists that his comment on the matter was his personal view.
“We’re concerned about the welfare of the workers. In fact, we’re paying some special allowances called hazard allowance, even to our medical workers, as I’m talking to you right now. So I don’t think governors have any problem with the payment of minimum wage. I don’t speak for the governors. Our chairman, the Governor of Kwara, actually speaks for the governors and he will do that at the right time to you.
“But it is incorrect, actually, to say that governors are not interested or are not cooperating. What the governors keep saying is that there is a committee established by the federal government to work on the minimum wage.
“We are waiting for the outcome of that committee and that committee is not just looking at the federal government, it’s looking at the state government and organized private sector. So by the time they provide, we don’t want to jump the gun and that’s why we continue to do that.
“You may find one or two states make certain statements, which is okay and perfectly in line. Minimum is minimum, when they say minimum wage, it doesn’t mean that somebody cannot be higher than that, dependent on your own cash flow and dependent on your own position. So, I think that’s the position,” Sule said.