Gov. Alia exceeds minimum wage, approves ₦75,000 for Benue workers

Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, has approved a minimum wage of ₦75,000 for workers in the state.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Chief press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Tersoo Kula, which he issued Monday night.

The statement said the Governor announced this at the State Secretariat after a meeting with organized labour representatives on Monday.

He also stated that the remaining three months of the five-month backlog of arrears promised to the union will be paid as budgeted in the 2024 budget, along with the minimum wage, effective November 2024.

He said, "We are implementing a new national minimum wage of seventy-five thousand naira (₦75,000). We decided to set the wage at ₦75,000, fully aware of the other concerns raised by organized labor during the negotiations.

"These concerns included a minimum wage of N30,000, wage awards, transportation allowances, tax relief, and work-off days, among others.

"Recall that the President had approved the sum of ₦70,000, which we have decided to exceed, considering the concerns raised by organized labour regarding our ability to pay."

He emphasized that his government is committed to serving the common man, stressing that he will do everything legitimately possible to ensure that the workers of Benue State are properly taken care of.

He further stated that his motivation to ensure the arrears are paid is to alleviate the effects of hardship on workers.