Governor of Adamawa State Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has reiterated his administration’s commitment to implementing any amount unanimously, agreed upon as the new national minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
Addressing workers to mark May Day celebration in Yola, yesterday, Fintiri said the government is keenly following developments on the new national minimum wage.
“We are fully committed to implementing whatever figure is eventually agreed upon”.
Represented by his deputy, Professor Kaletapwa Farauta, the governor said the government has released N3 billion for the payment of gratuity to the retirees in the state.
“Over the past five years, we have redefined government-labour relationship and steered it away from the traditional confrontation towards consultation,” he said.
Governor Fintiri further expressed its renewed commitment towards addressing issues affecting state and local government pensioners, hence the release of three billion naira to offset the accumulated pension/gratuities.
The state chairman Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Emmanuel Fashe frowned at the degrading living standard of Nigerians because of federal government’s policies such as the subsidy removal, hike in electricity tariff, and naira floating among others.
He drew the attention of the government on the fact that inflation has made it impossible for salary earners to live within their salaries, calling for urgent and tangible measures to alleviate the sufferings of the citizens.
Fashe, however, commended governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri for giving Adamawa a new face lift through various developmental projects spread across the 21 local government areas, and his timely palliative interventions to workers and the masses to cushion the current hardship.
He made a case for the reintroduction of workers revolving loan programme to enable them have access to financial loan and access materials at a low and affordable rate, and three months arrears of consequential adjustment of the current new national minimum wage.
Others include review of civil service rules, a media bill passed by the state assembly awaiting the assent of the executive arm of government among other demands.
The state chairman Trade Union Congress (TUC) Engr Dauda Adamu Ali made a case for conversion of casual staff to permanent appointment by govrnment.