Governor Samuel Ortom says he has no capacity to pay Benue workers the newly proposed N30,000 minimum wage.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other
allied unions have been at loggerheads with the Federal Government over
an increase in the minimum which currently stands at N18,000.
Governor
Ortom who is seeking re-election, told workers in the state that he
would have implemented the agreement but for lack of capacity.
“If I have the capacity, I will not hesitate to implement the new minimum wage even above N30,000,”
Ortom told workers who had embarked on a peaceful protest in Makurdi on
Tuesday, January 8, 2019, to express their grievance over the delay in
the implementation of the new minimum wage.
The governor, who sympathised with the workers, said the state cannot afford to pay the new minimum wage.
“I have prioritised payment of workers’ salaries and this is exactly what my administration is doing,” he declared.
The NLC state chairman, Godwin Anya, called on the governor to consider the workers’ plight and stand on their side by accepting to pay the proposed minimum wage.
The national president of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba,
who was represented by Success Leke, national auditor of the union,
advised Mr Ortom to prevail on his colleagues to implement the new
minimum wage.
Despite receipt of the Paris Loan Refund and
bailout from the Federal Government, Benue state is yet to clear all
outstanding workers’ salaries and other allowances.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians of voting age not re-elect governors who are unable to pay salaries.
President Buhari, who spoke with the Hausa
service of the Voice of America, which was aired on Tuesday, January 8,
2019, said he saw no justification in governors collecting bailout funds
from the federal government and still failing to pay wages.