Benue: Gov Alia speaks on paying ₦40,000 minimum wage

The Benue State Government has dismissed rumors of plans to pay state civil servants a ₦40,000 minimum wage, instead of the ₦70,000 minimum wage signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.

IDOMA VOICE gathered that social media in the state was abuzz with speculation that Governor Hyacinth Alia, in a recent meeting with workers, proposed a ₦40,000 minimum wage for civil servants. However, in a statement on Saturday, Solomon Iorpev, the Governor’s Technical Adviser on Media, Publicity, and Communication, labeled the rumors as false, clarifying that Alia has been on a working visit to China.

“The governor has been in China since Monday,” Iorpev said, questioning when such a meeting could have taken place.

Benue State Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) secretary Joshua Abimiku supported Iorpev’s statement, noting that during wage negotiations, four wage options were discussed, none of which included ₦40,000. Abimiku clarified that the agreed-upon amount was ₦75,000, with all preparations finalized for its implementation.

He added, “Plans and arrangements have been concluded, and we had expected the new wage to take effect last month. With today being November 1, we anticipate it will be implemented this month.”

Abimiku dismissed the ₦40,000 claim, pointing out that no governor would approve an amount below the national minimum wage.