Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, has addressed allegations from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) regarding the non-implementation of the national minimum wage.
The NLC's Kaduna State Chapter had accused the state government of failing to pay the mandated 72,000 Naira minimum wage. However, the governor's office has firmly denied these claims.
According to a statement by Malam Ibraheem Musa, the Chief Press Secretary, "His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, has complied with the spirit and letter of the National Minimum Wage Law, by paying the lowest paid civil servant N72,000 last month."
This clarification highlights that the minimum wage is indeed being paid, distinguishing it from the salary increments sought by the NLC through consequential adjustments.
The financial landscape of Kaduna State presents significant challenges. With a monthly revenue of approximately N12 billion, the state allocates a substantial portion to its wage bill and loan repayments. "The monthly wage bill has jumped from N5.4 billion to N6.3 billion with the implementation of the Minimum Wage last month," the statement noted.
After accounting for these expenses, only N2 billion remains for essential developmental projects such as rural transformation, healthcare, and education.
Governor Sani emphasized the impracticality of dedicating nearly all state funds to benefit just about 1% of the population, which consists of 84,827 civil servants. He urged the NLC to exercise patience regarding salary adjustments until the state's revenue situation improves.
Despite these fiscal constraints, the governor has demonstrated a labor-friendly approach by providing buses for civil servants to ease their commuting burdens amidst economic challenges.
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