President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appealed to state governors to start paying the wage awards pending the determination of the new minimum wage to reduce the hardship of the economy on the people.
The president made the appeal
while speaking in Minna at the flag-off of the agricultural mechanization
revolution for food security and the commissioning of the remodeled domestic
terminal of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport in Minna.
He stated that all states need
to adopt the wage award saying that the National Executive Council would also
adopt it.
He explained that if the states
had implemented the wage awards, it would provide much-needed relief without causing
inflationary pressures.
He said: “If all of you, the sub-nationals have been paying the wages award, pending the determination of the new salary wage. Let all the states start paying the wages award. Whatever they are taking now plus the wage award would relieve the public.
“Please, I am not giving an
order, I am appealing to you states, start paying the wages awards, let
everyone start paying it. It is a relief to the people. The mechanism is the
fact that it won’t be inflationary if we announce the new salary wage in a few
weeks or months, they would have gotten used to the basic wages of N30,000 plus
the wages award, and it will have a dampening effect on the market. Please get
sub-nationals together and NEC should adopt this.”
The President assured that the
student loans and other economic measures would soon commence as steps are being
taken by the government to relieve the people of hunger.
“The student loan programme
will commence, there will be unemployment benefits for our graduates, and the
social security programme for the elderly and vulnerable will commence, we are
fine-tuning all these areas. We will relieve people of hunger.”
Tinubu also outlined plans for
a comprehensive programme to address the challenges of violent attacks, cattle
rustling, and other related issues pledging to organize an inauguration of the
Livestock Change programme in Nigeria within the next few weeks, aiming to
transform the current challenges into economic opportunities.
“Give me two to three weeks.
You will be part of the inauguration of the livestock change in Nigeria. I know
what it means to economic sabotage for roaming cows to eat up the crops and
vegetation of our lands, it could be painful but when we reorient the herders
and make provision for cattle rearing. The Governors should provide the lands
and as the President, I am committed to giving you a comprehensive programme
that will solve this problem.”
He applauded the continued and
aggressive determination of the Niger state governor in ensuring agricultural
revolution for food security including efforts being put in place for Niger
state to be one of the top food producers in the country while pledging his
support to the state government.
He added: “We have seen the
level of commitment here from the state level, we have seen leadership and the
success story of any leader is the ability to do what they ought to do at the
time they ought to do it. You are doing the job, you are walking the talk and I
must support you.
“Whatever support you need, you
will get. We appreciate your efforts in the infrastructure development of the
state, and I guarantee you the federal support. We flag off the hope, you
deliver the hope and you reassure Nigerians.”
He stated that his
administration is not concerned about making excuses or blaming the past
government adding that he intends to take action, do his best to reengineer the
finances of the country, and stay ahead on the right path.
Niger State Governor, Mohammed
Umar Bago said that agriculture is key to the government’s commitment to
addressing the challenges in critical sectors of our economy adding that his
administration intends to seize every opportunity for the attainment of growth
and engender prosperity for the people of the state and Nigeria.
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