Maureen Okpe
The Governor of Benue, Hyacinth Alia has approved a minimum wage of ₦75,000 for workers in the state.
Governor Alia, made the announcement on Monday at the State Secretariat after a meeting with organized labor representatives.
According to a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula, he assured the union that the remaining three months of the five-month backlog of arrears will be paid as budgeted in the 2024 budget, along with the minimum wage, effective November 2024.
He said, “We are implementing a new national minimum wage of seventy-five thousand naira (₦75,000).
“We decided to set the wage at ₦75,000, fully aware of the other concerns raised by organized labor during the negotiations. These concerns included a minimum wage of thirty thousand naira, wage awards, transportation allowances, tax relief, and work-off days, among others.
“Recall that the President had approved the sum of ₦70,000, which we have decided to exceed, considering the concerns raised by organized labor regarding our ability to pay.”
He emphasized that his government is committed to serving the common man, stressing that he will do everything legitimately possible to ensure that the workers of Benue State are properly taken care of.
He further stated that his motivation to ensure the arrears are paid is to alleviate the effects of hardship on workers.