Benue Government Backtracks, Says Negotiation Not Complete On Payment Of N30,000 Minimum Wage

Benue Gives Update On Minimum Wage Implementation

The Benue State Government has recanted on the earlier announcement that it is ready to pay workers in the state the N30,000 new minimum wage.

It will be recalled that the Special Adviser to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue on Labour and Employment, Chief Ode Enyi, at a press conference in Makurdi yesterday, said that the state government has approved the implementation of the new N30,000 minimum wage for workers in the state.

However, Professor Anthony Ijohor, the Secretary to the State Government in a fresh statement on Friday made available to Naija News, said the earlier statement was incorrect.

Prof. Ijohor noted that negotiation was still ongoing between the State government and Labour Unions, noting that the earlier statement by Enyi was done in haste and in error.

He added that the person responsible for the initial statement has been ordered to retract the report.

Ijohor’s statement reads: “It is necessary to state that negotiations between Benue State Government and labour unions on implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage have not yet been concluded.

“The member of the State Government Committee on the New Minimum Wage who posted on social media that the negotiations were concluded and approval given did so in haste and error, and has since been told to retract the report.

“We wonder why the committee member rushed to the media with the report when we and labour leaders were still meeting to agree on the new minimum wage for workers of the state.

“Our administration has presented its proposal and labour leaders have given assurance that they would study the proposal and get back to government.

“We call for patience as negotiations on the new minimum wage will soon be concluded in the best interest of all Benue people.”