Kogi State governor Usman Ododo on Monday approved the N72,500 minimum wage for workers in the state civil service and local government.
The approved N72,500 minimum wage for state workers is N2,500 higher than the approval in July by the Federal Government for workers in both private and public sectors.
Ododo who gave the approval while receiving a report from the Kogi state minimum wage implementation committee headed by the Head of Civil Service in the state, Elijah Avenemi, said he was more committed to the overall welfare of all cadres of workers.
The governor gave tax relief to workers for one year.
Ododo noted that being a labour leader and a civil servant before going into partisan politics, he knew what the civil servants were going through.
He called on the workers to cooperate with his administration and give him all the necessary support to succeed, assuring them of prompt payment of their salaries.
Presenting the committee report, Evinemi commended the members for a seamless negotiation before the agreement.
He lauded the governor for creating an enabling environment to conclude the exercise in good time, saying that the governor has set the pace for other governors.
Earlier, the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Gabriel Amari who spoke on behalf of the organized labour in the state, commended the governor for all his efforts and described Ododo as the best workers’ friendly governor in the state has ever had.
The NLC chairman, who expressed joy over the seamless efforts at which the implementation committee arrived at the new minimum wage, said some states in the federation were yet to set up implementation committees.
He promised that the workers would be more committed to their duties and continue to cooperate with the governor.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour matters, Comrade Onuh Edoka, commended the governor for his generosity and commitment to the welfare of Workers in the state.
Edoka, the immediate past chairman of the NLC in the state, noted that the state has never had a seamless negotiation like under Ododo.
He called on Kogi workers to be more committed to their duties, assuring that the state government under the governor will prioritise their welfare.
