Home City Review N30,000 Minimum Wage: Fayemi Canvasses Review Of Revenue Allocation

N30,000 Minimum Wage: Fayemi Canvasses Review Of Revenue Allocation

0
Dr Kayode Fayemi
Dr Kayode Fayemi

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has stressed the need for the Federal Government to review the current revenue allocation formula to enable state governments pay the new minimum wage being requested by workers.

Dr. Kayode Fayemi stated this when he received the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Ado-Ekiti on Friday.

The Governor, who explained that the N30,000 Minimum Wage was not a comfortable living wage for workers, said he was convinced that the Governors would pay if the Federal Government creates the enabling environment for them to do so.

He, however suggested that the labour leadership should adopt a collective approach in the handling of the issue which will be presented to the government and the general public.

The NLC President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba who met with the Governor together with some National and State Labour Union Leaders solicited the cooperation of all Governors in the payment of the N30,000 minimum wage, adding that all the States should be able to afford it.

Fayemi said the issue of affordability was key, adding that Ekiti had always been paying above the current National Minimum Wage of N18,000 by paying the sum of N19,350.

The Governor, however, added that for Ekiti State to pay the New N30,000 Minimum Wage, it would need an additional N2 billion in addition to the current wage bill of N2.6 billion, totalling N4.6 billion. This, he said is the case in many other States. Ekiti earns averagely N3 billion as Federal Allocation Monthly.

According to him, “I am not holding brief for the Governors because I am the youngest among them, having only come to Office barely a month ago, so I cannot speak on what has transpired in your negotiation in the course of this Tripartite Committee, but I did not blame Governors who believe that N30,000 is luxury salary for workers. There is no doubt in my mind that all the Governor knows that N30,000 cannot be a comfortable living wage and I have not had any single Governor argue otherwise. If I were to put myself in the shoes of my colleagues, giving the fact on ground in Ekiti, I think it’s always the question of affordability, ability to pay.

“As long as we have the Revenue Allocation Formula that we have in the country, even in States where you have willing partners and comrades that are not going to contend the N30,000 figure, if nothing is done about the current revenue allocation, this will be tough on states. In fact, this N30,000 is not even enough, Mr. President, I don’t know anyone who can really live comfortably on N30,000 let alone the N18,000 we are currently paying.

“I think we need a collective approach to this beyond the game of numbers. The workers are very critical components to the productive base of our country, because it is the human capital and it has to be motivated to be an enthusiastic human capital that can deliver the goods to the populace.

“You are in a state that pays minimum wage of N19,350 which is above the current Minimum Wage with an allocation of N3.2 billion last month and a wage bill of N2.6 billion leaving a balance of N700 million to do other things. I have just been basing my calculation on that, N30,000 and majority or at least half of our workers are below Minimum Wage now. If we were to pay the N30,000, we would require additional N2 billion every month”, Fayemi said.

Earlier, Comrade Ayuba Wabba had lauded Governor Fayemi for his administration’s demonstration of love towards Workers Welfares, especially the recent release of N200 million for Teachers’ Car and Housing Loans as well as the abolishment of Development Levies in Public Primary and Secondary Schools in the state, among others.

“We know your pedigree and I am not surprised about this. We know you are a friend of workers. In 2012, you were the first to pay the N18,000 minimum wage in the entire South West and second in Nigeria. You even paid N19,300”, Wabba said.

The NLC boss also stressed the need for State Governments to ensure transparencies and accountability by ensuring that, what is due to workers are given to them and blocking all forms of leakages that may disturb them from paying workers what is due to them.

The labour boss expressed optimism that the Government would take all necessary steps at ensuring that the new minimum wage becomes a reality.

Packaged by Emmaunel Adeniran

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here