Date: 2018-11-20

A suggestion has gone to state governors to cut down the huge expenses on political appointees so as to enable them pay the thirty thousand Naira minimum wage that they are lamenting over.

The Kwara Stare Chairman of Teade Union Congress (TUC) Comrade Olumoh Kolawole made the suggestion in Ilorin , the state capital while answering questions on a Radio Kwara personality interview programme Playing Host. Comrade Olumoh said most state governors appoint special assistants or advisers that are not relevant to governance of their various states and they still earn huge salaries.

"I know of a state that has over 172 special advisers or special assistants and do not have specific portfolios and at the end of every month collect huge salaries " According to him, it came as a big surprise to the organized labour that the governors could renege on their initial agreement at the tripartite meeting where it was agreed that they would pay the thirty thousand Naira minimum wage or even above.

Comrade Olumoh disclosed that findings have shown that most states do not use up to fifty to sixty percent of their income to pay salaries , while the balance goes to settlement of political appointees and other frivolous expanses.

He declared that the organized labour only recognize the tripartite body comprising of the government, the labour and the private sector and does not recognize any organisation known as Nigerian Governors Forum which is claiming not to have the capability to pay the new minimum wage.

Comrade Olumoh threatened that any governor that fails to pay the agreed minimum wage would be voted out of office by the Nigerian workers during next years general election.

According to him, the cost the governors will incur if they decide to downsize or sack workers as they have threatened if they should pay the thirty thousand Naira minimum wage is far above what the minimum wage would cost them.

He appealed to the federal government to put in place machinarues that would give workers value for the new minimum wage to avoid inflation in the prices of goods, foidstuff abd other infrastructures.

Comrade Olumoh who is also the state chairman of senior staff civil servants of Nigeria expressed the hope that President Muhammadu Buhari would soon sign the White Paper report on the new minimum wage for passage to the National Assembly so as to hasten its full implementation.

He, however, urged workers to continue to exercise patience and endurance assuring them , thst everything would be done to ensure that their wages are properly taken care off stressing that this time around, the thirty thousand Naira minimum wage would be paid fully and not an amputated wage.

According to him , immediately another tranche of Paris club funds are released to states, all governors with outstanding salaries from the eighteen thousand Naira minimum wage would be made to pay or they would face the wrath of the organied labour.