By Henry Iyorkase, Makurdi

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

The Governor made this announcement on Monday at the State Secretariat following a meeting with representatives of organized labour in Makurdi, Benue State.

He also stated that the remaining three months of the five-month backlog of arrears promised to the union would be paid as planned in the 2024 budget, alongside the new minimum wage, effective from 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 labour during the negotiations. These concerns included a minimum wage of thirty thousand naira, 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 legally possible to ensure that the workers of Benue State are properly taken care of.

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

It should be recalled that the ₦40,000 proposal by some mischief-makers is trash and belongs in the dustbin.