New Minimum Wage: We Are Not Opposed To Payment – Gov Sule

Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has debunked claims that state governors are not cooperating with the federal government on the issue of a new minimum wage for workers.

He clarified that governors are not opposed to the new minimum wage for workers.

There have been concerns in some quarters over the ability of many states to agree to and be able to pay the new minimum wage to be proposed by the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage.

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The concerns turned to a worry a few days ago when reports emerged that some governors became unsettled with the decision of the Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, to raise the minimum wage in his state to ₦70,000.

However, speaking to journalists at the State House on Wednesday, after a meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima in his office, Governor Sule further explained that his comment on the matter was his personal view.

The governor who said he was unaware of any state where the government was unable to pay the old minimum wage rate, stated that Nasarawa has been paying the N30,000 minimum wage since 2019 and has also implemented promotions, gratuities, and other benefits for workers.

While he explained that governors have not disagreed on matters around plans to review workers’ pay, he explained that a committee established by the federal government is working on the minimum wage, and governors are waiting for the outcome.

“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”, he said.