The governor of Ebonyi state, Engr. David Umahi on Wednesday said that he would not be the first nor the last to pay the N30,000 minimum wage to civil servants in the state.
Gov. Umahi made this known at Pa Ngele Oruta township stadium, Abakiliki where he addressed workers in the state on May day.
“On the issue of minimum wage, I will not be the first neither would I be the last, but I will pay”, he stated.
He noted that he would inaugurated a consultative committee which shall determine how the salary would be paid.
He added the decision of the consultative committee would be send to the State House of Assembly for approval.
“I will inaugurate a consultative committee that will determine how the payment will be made. And I will also call a stakeholders meeting to intimidate them on the outcome of the consultative committee and then send their recommendation to the State House of Assembly as it was done at the national assembly for federal civil service”, he stressed.
Umahi explained that tax generated in the state would argument in the payment of the minimum wage.
He insisted that those civil servants from those communal crisis areas in the state whose salaries were withheld should forgo their salaries.
He reitarated that the blood of those killed essentially the fresh Izzi and Ikwo communal crisis, worth more than their salaries.
Daily Trust observed that there was a low turnout which is believed to be as a result of parallel election where Comrade Ike Nwafor and Leonard Nkah were elected for the chairmanship position of Nigeria Labour Congress, Ebonyi state Chapter, respectively.