Stop Paying Minimum Wage - FG

Worried about the dwindling economy, falling oil prices and their inability to deliver dividends of
democracy, the governors said they would like to seek audience with President Muhammadu Buhari for solutions.

The governors spoke of their inability to continue paying the N18, 000 minimum wage imposed on them by the Federal Government when oil price was $126 per barrel, and now with a $41 tag, it is a herculean task to function.

This is even as they threw their weight behind the $5.2billion (about N1.04trillion) fine the Nigerian Communitions Commission (NCC)slammed on telecoms giant, MTN for not meeting the deadline to disconnect 5,2million unregistered subscribers this year.

The governors also said that payment of salaries among other important expenditures is now a big problem as a result of dwindling monthly allocations occasioned by falling oil prices.

Emerging from a meeting which ended in the early hours of yesterday at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Chairman and Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, reading the communique, commended the NCC for its strict compliance and enforcement of the law in its regulation of the telecoms sector.

According to him, the forum commended the regulatory agency for “its strict compliance and enforcement of the law with regards to the fine and advised the Federal Government to ensure prompt and full payment.

On the dwindling economy, the governors said the states could no longer pay the N18,000 minimum wage that was imposed on them when oil sold for $126 as against its present $41. Governor Yari said the way out of the situation was the diversification of the economy with attention to agriculture and mining.

According to him, “we resolved that we must look at ways to enhance revenue generation and at the same time look at ways to cut our overhead costs more especially the political office holders’ salaries and other overhead expenses.

“The situation is no longer the same when we were asked to pay N18,000 minimum wage, when oil price was $126 per barrel and continued paying N18,000 minimum wage when the oil is $41 and the source of government expenditure is from oil, we have not seen prospects in the oil industry in the near future,” Yari said