Why I can’t increase minimum wage of Abia workers – Alex Otti

The Abia State Government has said it is waiting for the Federal Government before it announces a new minimum wage.

The government said it would not want to take the first step toward increasing workers’ salaries ahead of the federal government.

“The Federal Government is currently considering a wage review and negotiations are ongoing and at the state executive council level, we are monitoring that conversation.

“Our stand as a state government is that we do not want to go ahead of the Federal Government to make a proclamation on that because you do not know where the direction that the Federal Government is headed.

“So, it’s better for us to wait and then see what the Federal Government wants to do and then we now look at what we can afford as a state and then move.”

The government also said that it would make a proclamation at the appropriate time, in line with what it can afford.

The state’s Commissioner for Information and Culture, Okey Kanu, said this in Umuahia while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s state executive council meeting, presided by Governor Alex Otti.