The Governor of Benue State has officially approved a new minimum wage of ₦75,000 for state workers, marking a significant boost for employees across the region.
The announcement was made on Monday at the State Secretariat, following a meeting with representatives from organized labour.
In a statement issued by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, it was revealed that alongside the new wage, the Governor assured workers that the remaining three months of the five-month backlog of arrears would be paid as promised.
The arrears will be included in the 2024 budget and are set to be disbursed starting from November 2024.
He stated, “We are implementing a new national minimum wage of seventy-five thousand naira (N75,000). We have set this wage level after considering the various concerns shared by organised labour during our discussions.
These concerns included a minimum wage of thirty thousand naira, wage awards, transportation allowances, tax relief, and work-off days, among others.”
The Governor noted that while the President had approved a minimum wage of N70,000, they chose to go above that amount in response to labour’s concerns about the state’s capacity to meet these needs.
He emphasised his administration’s commitment to the welfare of the ordinary citizen, assuring that he would do everything within legal means to support the workers of Benue State.
Furthermore, he expressed that his motivation for ensuring the payment of the arrears is to help alleviate workers’ financial challenges.
