Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has explained that he increased workers’ minimum wage in his state at a time about 27 state governments cannot pay salary to prove to his counterparts who were against the upward review of minimum wage that it could be done and salaries could be paid promptly.
He disclosed this to State House correspondents on Thursday shortly after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Abba Kyari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Stressing that he was not on the same page with governors who believe that salaries should be reduced, Oshiomhole said, “I have increased the minimum wage when my colleagues are debating that it is too high and I insisted that it is too small.
“I decided to increase it to show that not only that it is too small but it is possible to increase it and pay it.
“We are not in arrears of one month salary in Edo State, we are up to date. For all those who are in direct employment of the state government, including teachers at all levels.”
The governor also stated that his administration had decided to be treating teachers as the most important workers in Nigeria because of their roles in nation building.
He said his position was that if the state could not deliver on public health or infrastructure, it should not fail to deliver on education because the world is knowledge-driven and is increasingly digitalised.
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