PORT HARCOURT (Sundiata Post) – Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has declared that the state government would not be a party to the reduction of the minimum wage for workers.
Speaking at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday when he granted audience to the national chairman of Labour Party, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, Wike said that the state government would continue to pay salaries of workers regularly because the multiple effect is critical to social stability.
He said : “Rivers State will not be a party to the reduction of the minimum wage. Rivers State will not reduce the minimum wage.
“The state government will continue to pay the salaries of workers because we believe that the worker deserves his wage”.
The governor noted that his administration was committed to workers’ welfare, hence it cleared outstanding three months salaries owed workers upon assumption of duty on May 29. He pointed out that the state government also paid the six months pension arrears it inherited.
He said the non-payment of salaries in the past led to untold hardship to the people.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
The governor said rather than reduce the minimum wage, government at all levels should work towards addressing the numerous development challenges facing the nation. He said that it is high time political leaders stopped trading blames and focused on solving the problems facing the people.
Wike explained that he resolved to run an inclusive government because he believed that all political parties could contribute to the development of the state. According to him, after election there was a need for people to close ranks in the interest of good governance and development.
Earlier, Alhaji Abdulsalam commended Wike for playing politics without bitterness by involving the opposition in the caretaker committees of local government areas.
The Labour Party national chairman urged the governor not to reduce the minimum wage in Rivers State.
He was accompanied to the visit by the national deputy chairman of the party, Callixtus Okafor; the state chairman, Favour Reuben and other Rivers State officials of Labour Party.