Ortom on minimum wage: I will pay workers above N30,000 if I have the capacity

Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, says he would pay the state workers above N30,000 as minimum wage if he has the capacity.

Ortom made the remark on Tuesday in Makurdi, Benue state capital, while addressing members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Members of the union embarked on a peaceful protest to express their grievances over the delay in the implementation of the new national minimum wage of N30,000.

The governor, who sympathised with the workers, said the present N18,000 minimum wage was no longer enough due to the economic situation.

“If I have the capacity, I will not hesitate to implement the new minimum wage even above N30,000,” he said.

He disclosed that governors had appealed to the federal government to review the revenue sharing formula to enable them pay the proposed national minimum wage.

“I have prioritised payment of workers’ salaries and this is exactly what my administration is doing,” he said.

Also speaking, Godwin Anya, the NLC state chairman, called on the governor to consider the workers’ plight and stand on their side by accepting to pay the proposed minimum wage.