The Gombe State Government has said it is committed paying workers in the state the N70,000 Minimum Wage once negatiation is completed.
The state’s Deputy Governor Manassah Daniel Jatau, said the government will continue to pay the N10,000 wage award pending on when negotiations are reached between the two parties.
He said the state is also waiting to observe the federal government’s table of the minimum wage before implementation.
Daniel, who is also the Chairman, Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage negotiation, in a press conference over the weekend said contrary to some misconception, the governor didn’t say he is not going to raise the national minimum wage but will wait for the outcome of the negotiation committee.
Represented at the press briefing by the Head of Civil Service, Ahmed Kasimu Abdullahi, Daniel reaffirmed governor Inuwa’s commitment to ensuring that civil servants in the state enjoy the 70, 000 new national minimum wage so that they can put in their best in serving the state.
“Government has set the machinery for the implementation of the new national minimum wage in Gombe State. Let me assure you that His Excellency the Governor is fully determined to pay the minimum wage. Unlike what you have been hearing in some quarters that the governor said he won’t pay. No, not at all. His Excellency is one of the governors in the fore front of payment of the new minimum wage”.
“In the magnanimity of the Governor to alleviate the hardship occasioned by fuel subsidy removal, he approved the payment of 10,000 across board to all civil servants without anyone putting any pressure on him in order to make the civil servants feel better in the discharge of their duties. The additional 10,000 naira was because of his concern, feeling and regard to civil servants and it has made the minimum wage 40,000 instead of 30, 000 even when other states couldn’t pay the 30,000”, he said.
Daniel added that the negotiation committee has decided to separate the monthly salaries from the 10,000 palliatives pending when conclusion is reached in order to prepare the Civil servants on knowing their exact salaries when the minimum wage is finally agreed upon.
On his part, the Gombe State NLC Chairman, Yusuf Aish corroborated the government’s stand, saying they will wait for the federal government’s wage table before reaching an agreement with the state government.
“We had a brief discussion during our negotiation in the last 30,000-naira minimum wage due to some balance of some payment where we have agreed that this committee is a standing committee of minimum wage negotiation in the state. As a result, this same committee met to begin negotiation on the new 70,000-naira minimum wage”.
“However,in our tripartite committee meeting we have agreed to wait for the time the new minimum wage table as approved by the federal government will be released. Whenever it is released, we will start full negotiation with a view to reaching an agreement on what is to be paid in Gombe State”, he said.
He further said effective August ending, civil servants will receive two alert messages, being the normal salary and that of 10,000 naira palliative, appealing to civil servants to be patient pending when the negotiations will be concluded.
