A few days after President Bola Tinubu signed the new minimum wage of N70,000 into law in the country, the Gombe State Government has declared that it cannot afford to pay the sum to its civil servants.

The declaration was made by the Governor, who is also Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya.

The Governor spoke on Tuesday during a meeting with Labour Leaders, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and trade associations at the Government House in Gombe ahead of the planned nationwide protest against hardship.

Inuwa Yahaya emphasised that the state’s limited allocation from the Federation Account makes it impossible to implement the increased wage package.

In his words, “I cannot pay the N70,000 minimum wage, and I suspect many other states are in the same predicament with us.”

Inuwa Yahaya then highlighted the challenges posed by the state’s financial constraints as the main reason the administration cannot afford the new minimum wage as signed into law.

He also noted that even the previous minimum wage of N30,000 was a struggle for many state governments to implement, and the current economic climate has made it even more daunting.

The governor also revealed that Gombe State has yet to receive the promised 20 trucks of rice from the federal government, intended to alleviate the suffering of its citizens.

Additionally, he stated that the state received only N2 billion, contrary to the N5 billion palliative allegedly given to states by the federal government earlier.

The Governor further attributed the fuel subsidy removal, which has exacerbated the current hardship, to a decision initiated by former President Muhammadu Buhari and announced by President Bola Tinubu due to its exclusion from the 2023 budget.

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by Ishola Michael