Abdullahi Sule, governor of Nasarawa, says he and his colleagues across the country are concerned about the welfare of workers.
Addressing State House correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday after a meeting with Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Sule said governors are not against the new minimum wage for workers.
Sule said Nasarawa has been paying the N30,000 minimum wage since 2019 and has been providing additional benefits to workers.
The governor said he is unaware of any state where the government cannot pay the N30,000 minimum wage. “We are concerned about the welfare of the workers. In fact, we are paying some special allowances called hazard allowances, even to our medical workers, as I am talking to you right now.
“So I don’t think governors have any problem with the payment of the 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 for 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 is looking at the state government and organised 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 perfectly okay in line. Minimum is minimum; when they say minimum wage, it does not mean that somebody cannot be higher than that; it is dependent on your own cash flow and on your own position. So, I think that is the position.”
Sule further said Nasarawa is among the safest states in the country for businesses and agriculture to thrive.
The governor said he visited the vice-president to discuss commissioning a lithium factory in the state.
