“Pay wage awards to your workers”, Tinubu tells governors

According to news reports, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday, 11 March called on governors to put in effect the payment of wage awards to workers to bring big relief to a cross-section of Nigerians. He enjoined state governments to toe this path in collaboration with the Federal Government as part of efforts to alleviate the economic reform pains. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu spoke yesterday in Minna, the Niger State capital, where he inaugurated Governor Umaru Bago’s massive agricultural program. He also laid the foundation for a terminal building at the airport, which was renamed after him. In a statement by his special adviser on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the President said: “Please, I am not giving an order, I am appealing to your states, start paying the wages awards, let everyone start paying it. It is a relief to the people. The mechanism is the fact that it won’t be inflationary if we announce the new salary wage in a few weeks or months, they would have gotten used to the basic wages of N30,000 plus the wages award, and it will have a dampening effect on the market. Please get sub-nationals together and NEC should adopt this.” The President assured that the student loans and other economic measures would soon commence as steps were being taken by the government to relieve the people of hunger. On the plans to address violent attacks and cattle rustling, Tinubu said: “Give me two to three weeks. You will be part of the inauguration of the livestock change in Nigeria. I know what it means as an economic sabotage for roaming cows to eat up the crops and vegetation of our lands. It can be painful but when we re-orientate the herders and make provision for cattle rearing, you will see the difference. The governors should provide the lands and as the President, I am committed to giving you a comprehensive program that will solve this problem.”