THE Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, on Sunday, assured workers in the state that his administration would not disappoint their expectations over theN18,000 minimum wage.The assurance was made at the Workers Day celebration held inside the mainbowl of Osogbo Township Stadium.At the ceremony, the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Saka Adesiyan, commended Governor Aregbe-sola for paying 10 per cent of basic salary to workers of the state without any agitation from anyone.The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Ola-lekan Adeoti, said his love for workers welfare since he came into office was unhidden, adding that his administration was conscious of their needs and demands.Adeoti recalled that Aregbesola made history in December, when he became the first governor in Nigeria to pay workers their 13th month bonus, being 10 per cent of their monthly basic salary.He, however, enjoined the workers to join hands with others in ensuring that the Federal Government carried out a review of revenue sharing formula, so that more funds would be accruable to state and local governments.The governor, in his speech, had recalled how he had, on May Day in 2006, in a letter he wrote to the workers of Osun State, promised to create 20,000 jobs within the first 100 days of being sworn into office.You will recall that in my 2006 May Day message to Workers of Osun State, I promised that our administration shall create 20,000 jobs within the first 100 days of our being sworn into office.We have since inaugurated the successful Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES), a volunteers scheme designed to give jobs to a large number of our unemployed youths, he said.Aregbesola said since we came into office, we have carefully evolved series of integrated, people-driven and society-serving prog-rammes and policies designed to achieve food abundance by directly supporting genuine farmers organisations and peasant farmers to unlock the tap of effective wealth creation and distribution of food from farm centres to markets where the products are needed and sold.Meanwhile, THE Delta State governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, basking in the euphoria of his victory at the April 26 gubernatorial polls, has assured workers of the preparedness of his administration to implement the new minimum wage of N18,000.Uduaghan, in his May Day address read on his behalf by his deputy, Professor Amos Utuama, told the workers at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) joint rally in Asaba, on Sunday, that once guidelines were worked out for the new minimum wage, he would start implementing it immediately.The issue of N18,000 minimum wage has already become a law and we have approved it in principle, but we are awaiting the necessary guidelines for its implementation.We have largely kept our promises to our workers, having implemented promotion packages, employed new workers where necessary and paid salaries and allowances as at when due.We have fully implemented all salary structures, which include those of medical and health workers, the judiciary, colleges of education, polytechnics and universities and the main civil service.We will not let workers down, believing that a worker is entitled to his wages, he said.Meanwhile, THE Ondo state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, on Sunday, said the state government is committed to the implementation of the new minimum wage for the workers in the state.He said the discussion on all outstanding issues between government, labour and other key stakeholders on the minimum wage would commence immediately.Mimiko said this while addressing workers during the 2011 May Day celebration at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Arcade, Akure, adding that the government had put machinery in motion for theimplementation of the policy.Let me make commitment before you workers of Ondo State today that we remain irreversibly committed to paying workers of Ondo State the minimum wage.Let me make this absolutely clear, when you look at the finances of states, the affordability factor is a major factor. But because, in principle, we believe that N18,000 in todays economy is no big deal, we have put our heads together to see how, by subjecting government to instill discipline, cutting further areas of waste and embarking on increased internally generated revenue drive, to sustain the new regime.It is important to tell you, great workers of Ondo State, that in order to implement and sustain this new minimum wage, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) should actively join hands with all relevant stakeholders to ensure a review of the Federal Allocation formula, so that more resources will be devolved to states, he said.Speaking on the achievements of his government in the last two years, the governor said, the government has also adjusted workers salary structure in the state to bring it at par with their counterparts in the South West zone.Meanwhile, CHAIRMAN of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kaduna State chapter, Adamu Ango, has urged the state government to implement the N18,000 minimum wage as signed by President Goodluck Jonathan.This is just as the state governor, Mr Patrick Yakowa, said he would look at the financial implications of the implementation before the administration took any action.The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Mukhtar Yero, commiserated with the NLC and the people of the state over those who lost their lives during the post-election crisis and assured state workers of good welfare packages.Ango, speaking during the May Day celebration, saidthe welfare of workers was paramount to the NLC, while he called on the government to address the issue of contributory pension as it affected workers.The state chairman of the Trade union Congress (TUC), Paul Jezhi, also urgedthe government to declare a state of emergency on unemployment, adding that job creation will reduce social vices in the country.
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