GOVERNOR Samuel Ortom of Benue State has assured workers in the State that his administration would soon implement the approved national minimum wage.

In his address at the celebration of the  2019 workers day held at the IBB Square, Makurdi, Ortom said he would soon be meeting with Labour on the implementation of the New Minimum Wage in the State.

The governor said that he had set in motion a machinery to work towards the payment of the arrears of salaries owed all Benue workers as well as pensioners.

To be able to meet the implementation of the minimum wage, Ortom said that he was determined to take a multi-dimensional approach in solving the problems of salary payment.

“We will continue to work harder in order to earn more from our Internally Generated Revenue. In this context, we urge all revenue yielding Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to step up their efforts in revenue collection.

“Similarly, we are more than ever before committed to reducing the cost of governance.

He further said that his administration will continue to embrace Agriculture as the cornerstone of the State’s economic growth and industrialization.

“These are steps that will help in turning around our economic fortunes in the near future. Let me stress that as very critical stakeholders, we are worried that Benue workers are still being owed arrears of salary.

“We are equally worried that this negatively affects you in meeting your obligations as responsible parents, family or community leaders.

“We are worried too that your retired colleagues are being owed gratuities and several months of pension that should help them to feed, buy drugs and meet other pressing demands.” – Punch

– May. 1, 2019 @ 18:25 GMT |