I’ll decide minimum wage with Abia workers, says Ikpeazu

The Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, on Wednesday said he would wait for the conclusion of discussion by the Federal Government before taking a decision on what to pay as minimum wage.

According to him, the decision on the N30,000 minimum wage would be a decision between him and workers in the state.

While assuring the residents that Abia State would not pay the least minimum wage in the country, the governor said he would table the discussion with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria in the state.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Ikpeazu said the demand for minimum wage by Nigerian workers was legitimate.

The governor said, “It also is a call for all those who are in positions of authority to be innovative in thinking and finding a way to deal with wage issues.

“But beyond wage issues, I think the worker deserves a little more. Capacity building, training, enhancing their skills at work and making themselves better persons, hands-on on what they do is even far more important than talking about salary. I dream about a day when workers would start to think about enhancing their efficiency at work and all that.

“The wage that Abia State will pay will certainly not be the least in the country. But I will leave that decision to a time when my workers and I would sit down after the Federal Government would have ended its discussion.

(PUNCH)