Governor Godwin Obaseki has said that The Edo State Government promised to support poor residents in the state with N500 million monthly to cushion the impacts of the prevailing economic situation caused by the fuel subsidy removal.
He made this known while addressing members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Edo chapter during a protest.
While addressing the crowd, the Governor said:
- “We in Edo State are going to do our bit. I have decided that every month, going forward, we will take N500 million from our own money to give to the poorest of the poor in Edo State. We are not waiting for anybody.”
- “Recall on May Maydayis year, I warned you that we are likely to face the condition we are seeing today. And, I advised you in that speech that you should not wait but be proactive. I want to let you know that in Edo state we are labour-friendly.”
- “Two years ago, we increased minimum wage because we knew that the workers were suffering, and we had to do something about it.”
- “We know that your take-home pay can no longer take you home and something must be done. We, in Edo state, will support your action that your wages must reflect the current realities.”
The Governor urged the Federal Government to give the palliative to the various local government areas across the country saying that the local governments were closer to the people.
What You Should Know
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had urged Nigerians to ignore reports about a possible suspension of its planned nationwide protest scheduled to commence on Wednesday, insisting that it is still going ahead with the action.
The Labour Union said it is not backing down on the mass action over the hike in the pump price of petrol, exchange rate unification and others.