The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, on Monday, approved N77,000 as the new minimum wage for workers on the lowest cadre in the service.
This was disclosed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi, after a meeting with the leadership of the organized labour in the state, stating that the payment takes immediate effect.
The SSG was said to have explained that the meeting was at the instance of the Governor, who directed that no worker in the state should earn less than N77,000 starting from the month of October.
He said that the decision was part of the proactive step by the Dapo Abiodun’s led government to further ameliorate the suffering of the people.
Talabi said that the Governor also advised the organized private sector to take a cue from the policy, as their workers are not exempt from the economic realities in the country, to improve the living standards of people in the state holistically.
The SSG also noted that the Governor has therefore advised that the private sector should dialogue with their relevant stakeholders to arrive at a commensurate minimum wage for the sector while he will set up a monitoring team to see how it is implemented by the private sector to ensure no one is short-changed.
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On his part, the State NLC Chairman, Comrade Hameed Benco, said the organized labour in the state is very pleased with the Governor having approved the N77,000 in consultation with labour leaders, which today is the highest in the country.
Benco noted that some states that have implemented the new minimum wage are paying N70,000, while some pay N70,250 or less, adding that the other sectorial salaries will be affected accordingly.
He also mentioned that the government has graciously approved the submission of labour that the new basic salary should not be taxed.
In the same vein, Comrade Akeem Lasisi of the TUC and his counterpart, Comrade Isa Olude of the JNC, commended the government for being worker-friendly, while they noted that consequential adjustments for pensioners and other matters will be announced after due consultation with the relevant stakeholders.
In his reaction, Ogun State Head of Service, Mr Kehinde Onasanya, said the approval of the generous minimum wage for workers underscores the responsiveness and sensitivity of the Governor and the government to the plight of the workers and the general populace of the state.
Onasanya expressed optimism that the gestures by the government will further boost the morale of the workers in committing themselves to the implementation of the government’s policies.
