November 19, (THEWILL) – Governor Hyacinth Alia has approved a minimum wage of N75,000 for Benue workers.
The Governor, who announced this on Monday, at the State Civil Secretariat, after a meeting with organised labour representatives in Makurdi, explained that the remaining three months of the five-month backlog of arrears promised to them will be paid as budgeted in the 2024 budget.
He said the amount will be paid along with the minimum wage, effective November 2024.
“We are implementing a new national minimum wage of N70,000. We decided to set the wage at N75,000, fully aware of the other concerns raised by organised labour during the negotiations. These concerns included a minimum wage of N30,000, wage awards, transportation allowances, tax relief, and work-off days, among others”.
“Recall that the President had approved the sum of N70,000, which we have decided to exceed, considering the concerns raised by organised labor regarding our ability to pay.”
In a statement in Makurdi by the Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, the governor emphasised 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.
The statement further quotes governor Alia as stating that, his motivation to ensure the arrears are paid is to alleviate the effects of hardship on workers.
