We’ll keep paying minimum wage, el-Rufai assures Kaduna workers

The Kaduna state government has assured workers that it will keep paying the new minimum wage. 

Following pressure from organised labour, President Muhammadu Buhari in April 2019 signed the new minimum wage act into law, which increased base pay to N30,000.

In a Twitter post on Monday, Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna, said his state will not stop the implementation.

He also reiterated that Kaduna was the first to start paying the new minimum wage.

“KDSG under Malam Nasir @elrufai is the first government to pay the minimum wage,” the governor tweeted.

“KDSG will keep on paying the minimum wage. KDSG has long banned casualisation. KDSG will right-size its public service. Verification of its personnel data is ongoing.

“Components of KDSG total wage bill of N4.498bn in March 2021: N3.13bn for 31,064 civil servants and N259m for 337 political appointees.

“Payments for pension and primary healthcare staff add another N1.1bn. Figures do not include wages of local government staff.”

Components of KDSG total wage bill of N4.498bn in March 2021: N3.13bn for 31,064 civil servants and N259m for 337 political appointees.

Payments for pension and primary healthcare staff add another N1.1bn.

Figures do not include wages of local government staff pic.twitter.com/kuK6S5jBE1

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— Governor of Kaduna (@GovKaduna) May 3, 2021

KDSG under Malam Nasir @elrufai is the first government to pay the minimum wage.

KDSG will keep on paying the minimum wage.

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KDSG has long banned casualisation.

KDSG will right-size its public service.

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Verification of its personnel data is ongoing

— Governor of Kaduna (@GovKaduna) May 3, 2021

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The Kaduna governor’s assurance is coming amid the decision of some state governments to reverse the implementation of the minimum wage due to a paucity of funds.

In March, 2020, Gombe state government suspended the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage and reverted to the previous wage scale, owing to the economic impact of the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.

The Kano state government followed suit in January, reverting to N18,000 — the previous minimum wage.

On Saturday, Bello Matawalle, governor of Zamfara, hinted that the state government can no longer pay the new minimum wage, while he urged workers to start businesses to sustain themselves.