The Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun has promised that the state would be first in the implementation of the new N70,000 minimum wage.
Abiodun who stated this during a meeting with the leadership of organized labor held at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan Abeokuta, noted that his administration is already working towards the implementation.
It was reported that after long deliberations, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) signed a new minimum wage agreement of N70,000 Naira with the Federal Government on 18 July.
Abiodun while acknowledging the impact of the workers in the rapid economic growth the state, said Ogun would not take second place in the implementation of the new minimum wage.
He said: “On the new minimum wage, all hands are on deck working assiduously, and I am sure that as always, we will not be number two in the implementation of the minimum wage.
“I have told my team that we should roll up our sleeves; we should work as hard as we can without putting undue pressure on our people. We should be creative, more efficient, block loopholes, and increase our revenue so that we can afford to pay the new minimum wage comfortably, and by the grace of God, we will not be second in terms of implementation.”
He pleaded for continued partnership from organized labor, emphasizing that their cooperation has led to economic prosperity, as the state budget has increased from less than N400 billion at the inception of the administration to the current N703 billion, with performance at 80 percent. He added that the state is looking at a trillion Naira budget for next year’s appropriation.
Abiodun said the meeting was part of efforts to engage stakeholders involved in the movement of people to find solutions to the current situation caused by the fuel subsidy removal.
The governor added that as a responsible government, his administration has put several measures in place to cushion the effects on the people.
“With all that has been put in place, with all hands on deck and the commitment to energy transition, by the time we have transitioned from over-reliance on petrol to CNG to electric vehicles and other forms of energy, you will begin to see that the cost of transportation, which is where the problem really lies, will begin to drop.
“Therefore, our commitment to energy transition is total. It is the only path to sustainability. It has been done in other countries before,” he said.
Also speaking, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Hameed Benco, while appreciating the governor for always making organized labor part of his decision-making process, stressed the need to enforce price regulation as market men and women have taken advantage of the current economic situation to exploit the people.
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