The Edo State governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki is in a race against time to present reversed 2024 Appropriation Law to the State House of Assembly for approval.
The amendment in proposed Appropriation Bill will pave the way for the Governor to include the the newly approved N70,000 workers in the State Civil Service, which was not captured in the 2024 Budget size of N342 billion signed into law in December 2023.
Obaseki dropped the hint on Monday Channels Television’s Politics Today interview hours after he raised workers wage from N40,000 to N70,000, ahead of May 1st Workers Day event.
He revealed that the projected increase in the Appropriation Bill would be presented to the State House of Assembly for passage at undisclosed date and time next week.
Asked what the projected figure of the projected revenue is in view of the new minimum wage, Governor Obaseki said, “we are going to the House of Assembly next week for the reversed Budget to accommodate all these things.
“My overhead Budget this year is about N89 billion, while my personnel cost in this year’s Budget is about N65 billion. So, what are we doing?
“We will remove more money in the overhead in running cost of government to enhance better wages for the people who were employed in the government. This is trick”, Obaseki said.
“According to him, “You cannot say that you are doing well as a government if your people are not feeling well or happy.
“We announced N70,000 new minimum wage at the current exchange rate of N1500 or thereabout. What they (workers) are taking hole is $55 monthly, which is less than 50 per cent of what they (workers) have been earning about two years ago”, he said.
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