The executive private secretary to the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, Chief Moses Nwan, has advised state governors not to only concentrate on salary increment but also find ways to ensure that the economy is stabilised in order to reduce prices of commodities.
According to him, state governors should increase workers’ salaries based on available resources at their disposal and states that are viable should pay the minimum wage as proposed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Nwan who stated this while responding to questions from journalists in Jos at the weekend agreed with the response of the governors but emphasised that the disparity was understood because all states do not have uniform financial base.
The governor’s aide said it was also necessary to say that as the salary is increased, certain parameters should be considered to ensure that while workers are still in service, they should be able to meet their needs.
“The increase in salary is not the end of the matter, but that it should be done according to the resources that are available to the government. If the NLC is asking for N700,000 pay rise, it is within the resources of the government to agree based on what is available.
“The government should be appreciated for taking some steps further to address the country’s challenges. This is to say that the government is conscious of the fact that the amount that is currently being paid will not meet the needs of the civil servants.
“It is our belief that this gesture will spur civil servants to work harder, because it is the civil servants that are used in generating revenue,” he said.
