By Hamilton Nwosa
The 36 Governors of the federation under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), are currently holding a meeting in Abuja.
According to feelers, the NGF under the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq of Kwara State is expected to discuss issues regarding the new national minimum wage, local government autonomy and other issues.
Already present at the meeting are Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, and Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo.
The deputy governors of Borno and Delta State are also physically present.
The meeting comes amid talks on a new national minimum wage. It would be recalled that the governors had declined the proposal of an N60,000 minimum wage put forward by the Federal Government.
The governors expressed concerns regarding the sustainability of an N60,000 minimum wage, citing potential negative impacts on the country’s overall development.
The governors stated that the implementation of an N60,000 minimum wage would significantly curtail the ability of state governments to allocate funds towards infrastructural development, as the majority of their budget would be directed towards meeting the increased salary obligations of their workforce.
The meeting also comes amid an ongoing lawsuit initiated by the Federal Government seeking to enforce full autonomy for local governments.
