Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has directed all 27 Local Government Area (LGA) chairmen to immediately implement the new N70,000 minimum wage for local government workers.
Zulum gave the directive on Sunday during a high-level meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), held at the Government House in Maiduguri.
He urged all local government chairpersons to return to their localities, engage stakeholders and develop a workable solution for the salary problem at the local government level.
Minimum wage has been implemented for state workers
The governor revealed that the new minimum wage of N72,000 had already been fully implemented for state civil servants and all primary school teachers.
He, however, cautioned against the retrenchment of workers as a means of solving salary challenges.
“We are not in support of staff retrenchment at the local government level.
“I direct you to institute a mechanism that will lead to the implementation of the minimum wage. I appeal to local government workers to be patient as we work closely with all 27 local government areas to ensure this is achieved,” the governor stated.
Overbloated workforce hindering implementation
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Modu Alhaji Mustapha, said that the implementation of the minimum wage at the local government level was being delayed by an over-bloated workforce.
According to him, the local government areas in Borno collectively have about 90,000 staff, compared to Kano State’s 30,000 staff across its 44 LGAs, despite its larger population.
“Our LGAs are overstretched. For example, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council receives less than N700 million as an allocation from the Federation Account.
“Yet, it requires N778 million to pay salaries at the N70,000 minimum wage rate.
“This leaves nothing for other critical services like health, water supply, security and infrastructure,” Mustapha said.
Labour leaders commend the state government
The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Borno State, Comrade Yusuf Inuwa, commended the state government for its full implementation of the N72,000 minimum wage for primary school teachers.
He noted that Borno is recognized at national executive meetings as one of the few states paying the approved wage to teachers at the primary level, a move that has earned the state commendation from the union’s national leadership.
