I was not elected to pay salaries alone, Umahi tells Ebonyi NLC

In anticipation of the outcome of the ongoing negotiation for the new minimum wage between a joint committee set up by Ebonyi State Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ebonyi Chapter, Governor David Umahi, has told the leadership of the Union to bear in mind that he was not elected to pay salaries alone.

Umahi said at Onueke, in the Ezza South Local Government Area of the state, on the sideline of the Central Bank of Nigeria 2019 Account Opening Week, that in as much as his administration was ready to pay the new minimum wage, the negotiation must be pegged around the 60% recurrent expenditures of the Local Government.

He said the remaining 40% earning of the LGAs must be used for projects, adding that he was prepared to face the leadership of Labour anywhere than exceed the 60% for payment of salaries and other recurrent expenditures.

According to Umahi, whatever was agreed by the negotiation committee as the new minimum wage for the Local Government workers is what the state government would adopt for payment of the state workers.

He explained that his administration, aside from the payment of workers' salaries, needed to attend to other needs of the generality of the people who elected him.

He said, "Negotiation for minimum wage is ongoing and we are ready and willing to pay. But I'm not sent here by Ebonyians to pay salaries alone.

"Our benchmark is the local government. The Local government must offer 60% of their earnings for recurrent expenditures. Not more than 60%. The other 40% must be used to do tangible things for our people.

"Anybody body that says we will more than 60% I'm ready to be taken anywhere. So, the negotiation must hover around 60% for recurrent expenditures for all salaries and overhead for the local government must be there.

"The chain is as strong as the weakest link. So, whatever the local government pays, that's what the state government will pay. So, I appeal to Labour people that we are not elected to pay salaries alone.

"We must secure the people. We must give education. We must empower the people. We must lift up the plight of our people. You can say the Governor is not paying, much but the Governor is not benefitting much."