Governor Wike of Rivers state has refused to reduce the minimum wage for workers insisting that other state governors must follow suit.
Nyesom Wike
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has vowed that the state government will not be a party to the reduction of the minimum wage for workers.
Wike who spoke at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday when he granted audience to the National Chairman of Labour Party, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, said that his overnment will continue to pay salaries of workers regularly because the multiple effect was critical to social stability.
According to him: “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”.
Wike 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, 2015.
He also pointed out that the state government has paid the six months pension arrears it inherited, pointing out that the non-payment of salaries in the past led to untold hardship to the people as most civil servants supported different strata of the society.
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 was high time political leaders stopped trading blames and focused on solving the problems facing the people.