President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga has revealed reasons why it will be difficult for the Federal Government to set the new proposed minimum wage at N100,000.
Onanuga who spoke in an interview with Arise TV said Nigeria’s existing financial situation will not allow either the Federal or State Governments to pay their staff salaries if the new minimum wage is pegged at N100,000.
However, it would be recalled that the majority of state governors presently struggle to pay the current minimum wage, on the basis Onanuga used as support for his claim.
He said, “Let me tell you, the last time it was done under President Buhari when the wage was increased to N30,000 per month, till today, 26 state governments could not pay it, out of 36, Only 10 are paying.
“The rest have not paid the whole rate or maybe they’ve just improved a bit. But mostly, according to the people who have monitored it, 26 state governments are unable to comply.
“Whatever the government wants to do now, even if we increase wages to 100,000 naira, will the Federal Government be able to pay?”