We can’t pay minimum wage without increased allocation – Ekiti gov

The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, on Wednesday, said governors, under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, are not against approval of a minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

Oyebanji said the NGF was only clamouring for fiscal federalism that would culminate in the ability and capability of individual states to pay.

Organised labour is battling the Federal Government of Nigeria over delay tactics in implementing the new minimum wage for workers.

While the tripartite committee set up by the government recommended N62,000 to President Bola Tinubu, the governors insisted that most states could not pay the amount and asked that the new minimum wage be pegged at N57,000.

The recommendations of both the tripartite committee and the NGF were, however, not acceptable to the organised labour who came down to the N250,000 benchmark during the final meeting of the tripartite committee.

As Tinubu opted to dialogue with the NGF and the employers, the labour came hard on the governors, accusing them of being insensitive to the plight of the workers.

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Oyebanji, speaking in Ado Ekiti, during the Seventh Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, however, said no state wanted to downsize its workforce, adding that each state was interested in determining what it could afford that would not end up in the eventual retrenchment.

“The NGF is not against the living wage. No governor is against the minimum wage, but what we are saying is that it must reflect fiscal federalism, ability and capacity to pay.

“No governor wants to retrench, if there is a minimum wage today without a concurrent increment in what we are earning, no state can pay.

“That is the conversation we are having – that, look, we want to give you a living wage, but we must look at what comes to the states and whatever is in the best interest of the states and the workers, we will do,” Oyebanji said.

The governor told the workers, “My appeal to civil servants is that those who would like to be part of our agriculture revolution should form themselves into cooperative societies and approach the Ministry of Agriculture for support.

“It may be difficult to support you individually, but when you form yourselves into cooperatives, many opportunities are available now. We are clearing land free of charge, we are giving inputs and we are going to buy from you. As I speak today, we have cleared more than 2,000 hectares across Ekiti State.”

Oyebanji reiterated the pivotal role civil servants played in the growth and development of the state, especially in the realisation of the six pillars of his administration, adding that whatever compliments the administration had received could only be directly attributed to the efficiency and effectiveness of the workers.

He said, “I have come here today to associate and rejoice with you as major stakeholders in our body polity.

We can’t pay minimum wage without increased allocation – Ekiti gov

Omokri vows to end Peter Obi’s political career

Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, has sworn to end the political career of Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election.

Omokri, a staunch critic of Obi, is known for criticising the former governor of Anambra State during and after the 2023 presidential election.

Before the election, Omokri, in several statements on X, eulogised Obi, describing him as one of the best leaders Nigeria has ever had.

However, the self-acclaimed ‘table shaker’ has also described Obi, among other things, as a leader who prioritises the building of breweries over the building of schools.

Chronicle NG reports that Omokri slammed Obi for building a $50 million brewery while failing to build a single school during his tenure as governor of Anambra State. An allegation Obi confirmed to be right.

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The social media influencer has been at loggerheads with Obidients (a term for Obi supporters) over his incessant banter against the Labour Party chieftain.

In a statement on his verified X page on Tuesday, Omokri threatened to destroy Obi politically.

Omokri, who vowed he was ready to die to achieve his aim, mentioned that his position was in defence of his children.

“By the time I am finished with this man, he will struggle to win even in his zone. Both he and his followers will ever regret threatening my child,” he said.

“What they did to me can never be forgiven. I am prepared to die in defence of my children.

“It is either I destroy him politically forever or he destroys me. There is no forgiveness,” he added.

Omokri vows to end Peter Obi’s political career

FCT is not Rivers State where you write election results – Deji Adeyanju tells Wike

Human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, on Tuesday, said that the choice of who becomes senator in 2027 in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) should be determined solely by residents of the FCT, and not by the Minister, Nyesom Wike.

The former governor of Rivers State had dared Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the FCT, stating that he would ensure she did not return to the Senate in 2027.

Meanwhile, Kingibe had earlier criticised Wike’s performance, adding that FCT residents were unimpressed as the FCT lacked essential amenities such as schools, hospitals, and potable water.

Meanwhile, Kingibe had earlier criticised Wike’s performance, adding that FCT residents were unimpressed as the FCT lacked essential amenities such as schools, hospitals, and potable water.

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Adeyanju, responding to Wike on X, said that the Minister could not decide for the people because the FCT was not Rivers State, where election results were written with guns.

The human rights lawyer said, “FCT is not Rivers, where people write results and shoot guns. Even incumbent presidents get defeated in the FCT.

“I know these folks have 100% control of INEC and other rigging mechanisms, but the arrogance is truly uncalled for.

“Nigerian politicians are like power-drunk Nigerian celebrities and pastors who can boast openly about getting the police to lock you up, and they will eventually do it,” he said.

FCT is not Rivers State where you write election results – Deji Adeyanju tells Wike