Kwara PDP Berates Governor Abdulrahman's Insincerity On Minimum Wage Implementation
...Says Governor Deliberately Refused to provide time frame for the Committee to delay Implementation till 2027
The Kwara State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has berated Gov Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq over his failure to provide a specific and reasonable timeframe for the newly inaugurated Consequential Adjustment Committee on the N70,000 minimum wage. This omission, our party believes will remind Kwarans of the Governor's tactics during his first term when the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage was delayed for over 3 years despite persistent agitation by labour unions.
In a statement signed by the state publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara on Saturday , the party questions the governor’s true intentions and commitment to full and timely implementation of the new minimum wage law to all cadres of Kwara workforce, including the local governments workers noting that Kwara State's financial capacity has significantly improved, with monthly allocations now exceeding N7 billion aside from undisclosed monthly IGR. Given this unprecedented increase in revenue, there is no justifiable reason for the Governor to delay the full implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage.
OUR CONCERNS
1. Lack of Timeframe:
By not providing the committee with a specific deadline, the Governor has effectively ambushed the workers, who may now be forced to wait indefinitely, possibly until 2026 or 2027, for the committee's report and subsequent implementation .
2. Sincerity of Commitment:
Governor Abdulrahman's purported commitment to a living wage for Kwara workers is questionable. The Gov intention appears to be to start payments only to lower cadre workers (Grade Level 1-6), who represent less than 6% of the states workforce, while higher cadres are left in uncertainty. This approach undermines the spirit of true minimum wage law.
3. Historical Precedent of Gov AA
Any attempt to repeat the N30,000 minimum wage scenario, where lower cadre workers earned more than their seniors, would devalue the new minimum wage. It is imperative that this implementation starts simultaneously for all cadres to ensure fairness and morale within the workforce
4. Transparency and Accountability:
We challenge the government to publish the workforce strength under both the state and local government payrolls and to provide monthly reports of allocations received by Kwara. This transparency will ensure that committee members and the public have the necessary information to make informed decisions.
5. Increased Allocations:
With the unprecedented increase in monthly FAAC allocations, now exceeding N7 billion in some months, there should be no delay in the full and timely implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage for all cadres of workers across the state.
6. Unfulfilled Otoge Promises:
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq must fulfill the promises made to Kwara workers during the 2019 "Otoge" campaigns, where salary issues were used as propaganda against the PDP administration. We look forward to implememtation of salary structures in Kwara to be more than Ogun, Osun, Oyo, and Kogi state as promised.
In light of these points, we urge Governor AbdulRazaq to prioritize the welfare of the workers who form the backbone of our state. The new minimum wage is not just a figure; it is a legal obligation and a moral one, especially considering the current economic hardships faced by many families in the state. The welfare of workers should not be compromised or subjected to unnecessary adjustments when the resources to fulfill these obligations are readily available
The time for political rhetoric is over. The people of Kwara deserve actions that reflect the significant financial improvements the state now enjoys. We will not stand by and watch as our workers are denied their rightful earnings under the guise of deceptive consequential adjustments process.
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