Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has assured the state workforce of his administration’s determination to comply with the payment of the new minimum wage of thirty thousand naira.
Ikpeazu said the state will not be left behind in payment of the agreed amount by the federal government and the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress.
The Governor who stated this during a BCA interactive programme,”The Platform”,said his administration set up a committee to that effect to see the impact which payment of the minimum wage will have on the overall cash flow in the state.
While admitting that the payment of the new minimum wage will not be easy for the state government,Governor Ikpeazu said his government will comply with the agreed amount as “there is no way Abia state will be left behind” among the committee of states who have agreed to pay the thirty thousand naira minimum wage.
He called for the support of Abians and the entire workforce urging them to redouble their efforts especially in the area of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) adding that state government targets its IGR to increase up to 1.5 billion naira to assist it meet up with obligations in payment of the minimum wage.
“If there’s a time for Abia workforce to redouble their efforts,it is now, especially in the area of Internally Generated Revenue.
“Today a core civil servant is heading the internal revenue service and we are watching to see impact of what civil servants can do because before now,we had engaged to the services of consultants. The call everywhere was that what these consultants can do, the civil servants can do better so we are trying to see if that is true.
“If we get more money in IGR,we are looking at being able to hit at least a billion five hundred,that will really cushion the negative effect of this minimum wage and help government to pay it easily.
“We are praying and hoping that God will help us realise that modest goal”, Ikpeazu said.
Governor Ikpeazu who used the forum to give a scorecard of his administration’s achievements in areas of infrastructural development, Small and Medium Enterprises,Trade and Commerce as well as establishment of Enyimba Economic City among others,urged Abians to keep faith with his administration as it is poised to ensure that the dividends of democracy reaches all nooks and crannies of the state.
