Minimum Wage: “Cut Down On Your Number Of Wives & Their Affluence, Not Minimum Wages” - Fayose To Governors

Gov. Ayo Fayose/ 234juice.com

As Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, and Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari insists on a reduction in the N18,000 minimum wage or downsizing.

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Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has distanced himself from the call.

The NGF chairman, who reiterated this position on Thursday at the State House, Abuja, shortly after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, pointed out that the sharp drop in federal allocations, occasioned by the dwindling price of oil in the international market, informed the governors’ call for a downward review of the national minimum wage of workers, or states might be forced to downsize.

But the Ekiti governor faulted the NGF chairman’s argument, saying rather than reduce salaries and sacking workers, what state governors ought to do is reduce the affluence they enjoy in office, and block all leakages in the system.

Gov. Fayose, in a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti on Friday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, made this position known during the Agenda for the Treasury Board meeting held as part of preparation of the state’s 2016 budget.

“Today most newspapers carried the story about call by some state governors that the minimum wage of N18,000 be reduced or that there should be massive retrenchment of workers in the public service. They are on their own and I take exemption to that. The minimum wage is even not enough.”

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“Reduction of wages or retrenchment of workers won’t happen in Ekiti State. Instead of those anti-labour and anti-people policies, the governors should cut down on their travels and tours and cut down minimum wives and children and their affluence. Let the governors cut their coats according to their sizes”, Fayose insisted.