Governors Won’t Move Against N18, 000 Minimum Wage – NGF Chair

The Governor of Zamfara State who is also the chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Abdul’aziz Yari revealed yesterday that the governors of the 36 states of the Federation won’t move against the payment of N18, 000 minimum wage to workers.This followed the showdown between labour unions and state governors over the plan to reduce the minimum wage.Yari made this known while speaking to newsmen at the State House after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.According to him, governors are more concerned about the poor state of the economy and how state governments can seek for alternative ways to absorb the effects of the dwindling oil revenues in the country due to fallen prices of crude at the international market.The NGF chairman, said: “Although in the decision we never said that we are going to stop the payment of N18, 000 minimum wage, but we are looking at the situation in the country and in the global economy.“What we said is that when the National Assembly enacted the law of paying N18, 000 minimum wage, then oil was about $118 per barrel and today where we are, oil is $41 per barrel.”“Let me make it very clear to Nigerians, Governors’ Forum is not the enemy of labour in any way.”