- Governor Mohammed Abubakar says his state, Bauchi, cannot pay the proposed minimum wage of N66,500

- Abubakar wants the labour unions to prevail on the federal government to increase allocation to states

- He argues that Bauchi makes very little as internally-generated revenue

The governor of Bauchi state, Mohammed Abubakar, on Tuesday, May 1, told civil servants that the state does not have the power and will to pay the proposed new monthly minimum wage of N66, 500 to its workers.

The Nation reports that the governor was, however, quick to add that the state can only change this stand if the federal allocation to state increases, as demanded by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on behalf of the state workers.

Speaking at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi, where workers gathered to mark the 2018 May Day, the governor said the state generates little revenue.

“Unless there is an upward review of the monthly allocation from the federal government, Bauchi State cannot meet the demand for an increase of salary of workers.

“In everything we do, let us face reality, the salary bill of Bauchi state currently is about N5.2 billion for Local government, teachers and civil servants and it is growing.

“We go to Abuja, we get at most N8 billion monthly and, by the time we take N5.2 billion salary, not much is left to take care of other things like feeding of school children, pumping of water, payment of power supplied, construction of roads, the running of hospitals, and others.

“If you think the resources of Bauchi state government will be able to pay N66,500 per month, so be it.

“If you take your calculator and you do the calculations and you think the resources of Bauchi state government cannot pay this minimum wage, then we need your help.

“If it is health, it is state and local government agriculture; it is state and local government. So for God’s sake, the time has come for you to start agitating for a review of revenue allocation to the state that is the only way that states can be able to pay this minimum wage.

“Please, workers of Bauchi state, assist us agitate for a review of the revenue allocation,” he said.

He urged the labour unions to correct the wrong figure of pensioners in the state as he claimed that at least one civil servant retires daily from the service thereby increasing the number of pensioners.

Speaking at the event, the chairman of the NLC in the state, Hashimu Gital, said: “Civil servants in the state have being enjoying cordial relationship with the government.”

The governor said the exercise covered promotions from 2015 to 2017 and that they will be paid all the entitlements.


https://www.naija.ng/1166956-we-t-pay-workers-minimum-wage-n66500-governor-abubakar-declares.html

Up there in the north
80% of northerners are dependent on govt salaries and politics, the rest are almajiris and Tutoline boys.
So why will the governor not complain? When he has almost all the citizens of the state in govt payroll, coupled with the epileptic economy that Buhari brought in

Bauchi is a failed state

I bet his own freebies and privileges are left untouched!

Xander85:
I bet his own freebies and privileges are left untouched!

Exactly. It is the masses that suffers.

Good to be realistic from the get go ..No Nigerian govt can currently pay a minimum wage of 65k a month and we need to be realistic about that..the best choice the govt has now is to improve the purchasing power of the Naira by really reducing the cost of doing doing business and the agriculture supply chain

SalamRushdie:
Good to be realistic from the get go ..No Nigerian govt can currently pay a minimum wage of 65k a month and we need to be realistic about that..the best choice the govt has now is to improve the purchasing power of the Naira by really reducing the cost of doing doing business and the agriculture supply change

So, you get small sense?

Congrats!

SalamRushdie:
Good to be realistic from the get go ..No Nigerian govt can currently pay a minimum wage of 65k a month and we need to be realistic about that..the best choice the govt has now is to improve the purchasing power of the Naira by really reducing the cost of doing doing business and the agriculture supply chain

except Lagos