Hardship: I can’t pay N70,000 minimum wage – Gov Inuwa

Gombe State Governor and Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Inuwa Yahaya, has categorically stated that his administration cannot afford to pay the new national minimum wage of N70,000.

During a meeting with labour leaders, civil society organizations, and traders associations at the Government House in Gombe, on Tuesday ahead of the planned nationwide protest against hardship, Governor Inuwa emphasised that the state’s limited allocation from the federation account makes it impossible to implement the increased wage package.

“I cannot pay the N70,000 minimum wage, and I suspect many other states are in the same predicament,” Governor Inuwa said, highlighting the challenges posed by the state’s financial constraints.

He noted that even the previous minimum wage of N30,000 was a struggle for many state governments to implement, and the current economic climate has made it even more daunting.

Governor Inuwa also revealed that Gombe State has yet to receive the promised 20 trucks of rice from the federal government, intended to alleviate the suffering of its citizens.

Additionally, he stated that the state received only N2 billion, contrary to the N5 billion palliative allegedly given to states by the federal government.

The governor attributed the fuel subsidy removal, which has exacerbated the current hardship, to a decision initiated by former President Muhammadu Buhari and announced by President Bola Tinubu due to its exclusion from the 2023 budget.

He emphasised that President Tinubu had no choice but to announce the subsidy removal, as the National Assembly was not inaugurated at the time of his swearing-in.

Governor Inuwa urged stakeholders to collaborate and explore alternatives to protests, which he believes inevitably lead to violence and destruction.