It'll be miracle for FG, States to pay salaries beyond June without printing money - Obaseki

Obaseki

Obaseki and others during workers Day in Edo

By Jethro Ibileke

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki on Monday said it will be a miracle for the Federal and State Governments to pay salaries of workers without printing money or removing fuel subsidy.

Obaseki spoke at this year’s International Workers Day celebration in Benin, Edo State.

The governor also advised workers to brace up for more hardships in the coming months in anticipation of the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government.

He warned that the federal government might find it difficult pay workers salaries and wages after the month of June, if it continues to subsidise fuel importation.

He, therefore, charged the leadership of the Labour unions to take part in the discussion process for the sake of transparency instead of the norm of reacting to the policy.

Obaseki said: “Let me point out and highlight that even though we continue to struggle in Edo, working hard to make lives better for all of you, we are not oblivious of the fact that Nigeria is in trouble.

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“The economy of our country is in a terrible state, it will be a miracle for the federal and state governments to pay salaries beyond June this year without resorting to massively printing money or removing fuel subsidy.

“Either of this decision will bring more hardships and pains to us as a people, particularly to you, workers. Therefore, we must all make sure that the burden and pain of these measures, which must be taken are not borne by workers alone. Workers must now rise and ensure that they champion any discussions on subsidy removal.

“You must shift from the tradition of reacting when these policies have been made, you must now insist to take charge so that there will be full transparency and disclosure.

“If we are all going to reform, then the benefits and the pains that will come out of these reforms must be mutually shared by all Nigerians not just the downtrodden.”

Obaseki, who described workers as unsung heroes of the society, said his government would continue to prioritise their respective welfare and ensure that workers were fairly treated so that their take home pay could take them home.

Edo State chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Odion Olaye, urged the government to revitalise state-owned tertiary institutions, which, according to him, were in a state of neglect and that if nothing drastic was done, might soon go into extinction.

 

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