Worker’s day: Obaseki increases minimum wage to N40,000

The Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, has increased the state workers’ minimum wage from the N30,000 approved by the federal government to N40,000.

The Governor announced this on Sunday, as 2012 pensioners protested the non-payment of their gratuities during the 2022 Workers’ Day celebration in the state.

He said, “As we all know, the minimum of N30,000 can barely sustain a family, it will be immoral and mindless of us to continue to pretend that we do not know that our workers are suffering.

“The government of Edo have now decided to review the minimum for Edo workers from N30,000 to N40,000 a month, undoubtedly, Edo is the first state since the current outbreak of coronavirus to take this initiative.”

“In view of the prevailing economic circumstances, I have now approved effective this May that the agreement we have reached with the Union of Pensioners that the harmonized amount would be paid from May 2022.”

He said to avoid such cases of pensioners being owed, his administration has keyed into the contributory pension scheme just as he said his administration has paid all pension arrears and would commence the next stage soon.