Governor Godwin Obaseki Says Governments May Find It Difficult To Pay Salaries From July
Governor Godwin Obaseki of edo state has alerted that both federal and started may face difficulties in paying salaries toworkers as from Junly 2023.
The governor said one of the viable option open to the both tiers of government is to remove the subsidy on petrol, as scheduled in June 2023.
Alternatively, Obaseki said federal government has so embark on massive printing of additional naira notes to meet the monthly salary bills.
The governor issued the alert on monday,whileaddressing workers during the may day rally heldat the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in benin city.
He cautioned that both options wouldbring morehardships and pains to all Nigerians, including workers.
Despite the envisaged pain,the governor asks the organized labour to support the proposed removal of subsidy from petrol.
He, however,urged the organized labour to demand a full disclosure of the proposed reform in order to ensure its benefits are mutually shared by all Nigerians.
At the 2023 May Day celebration in Benin City on Monday, Mr Obaseki advised the federal government to remove the petrol subsidy from July 2023 to avert an economic crisis.
“It would be a miracle for the federal government and state governments to pay salaries beyond June this year without resorting to massively printing money or removing fuel subsidy.
Either of these decisions will bring more hardship and pain to Nigerians, particularly workers.
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“We must all ensure that the burden and pain of these measures, which must be taken, are not carried by workers alone.
Workers must now rise and champion any discussion on subsidy removal.
“You must shift from the tradition of reacting when these policies have been made but insist that you take charge and ensure full transparency and disclosure.
“If we are all undertaking a reform, then the benefits and pains that will come out of the reforms must be mutually shared by all Nigerians, not just the downtrodden. The Governor said.
But the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Mr Chris Ngige, while speaking with Channels TV on Monday night, disagreed with the Edo State Governor, advising him to reduce his political appointees to save more funds to pay workers’ salaries.
He said the government of Mr Buhari has the capacity to pay the salaries of workers, noting that the incoming administration of Mr Bola Tinubu was also capable to generating funds for the same purpose.
The federal government made provisions for the payment of fuel subsidy in the 2023 budget till next month. The sum of N3 trillion was earmarked for this, with funds to be sourced from loans and others.
