Delta Constitutes Committee on New Minimum Wage

Omon-Julius Onabu

As controversy rages over the new National Minimum Wage, particularly as it relates to the consequential variation across different salary cadres, Delta State Government has constituted a high-powered committee to work with organised labour towards implementing a new minimum wage for the state public service.

Delta State Secretary to the Government (SSG), Mr. Chiedu Ebie, who inaugurated the committee on behalf of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa yesterday in Asaba, noted that the state government was passionate about the wellbeing of its workforce, especially the public servants in the state, adding that the governor had directed that discussion with the organised labour should commence without further delay.

The committee would put heads together with the labour unions to fashion out a mutually agreeable scheme based on the new minimum wage that would optimally benefit Delta State workers.

The committee, which has the SSG as chairman, included other members such as the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Olorogun David Edebvie; Delta State Head of Service, Mr. Reginald Bayoko; and Senior Policy Adviser to the Governor, Prof. Sylvester Monye.

Others are: the state Commissioner for Finance, Sir Fidelis Tilije; Chairman of Civil Service Commission, Dame Nkem Okwuofu; Chairman, Local

Government Bureau for Pensions, Mr. Ben Igo; and Permanent Secretary Office of the Secretary to Delta State Government, Mr. Jerome Morka; who would serve as the secretary to the minimum wage committee.

Okowa had, during the May Day (May 1) celebration with workers in Asaba, assured them of his administration’s readiness to pay the N30,000 announced as new minimum wage by President Muhammadu Buhari in April this year.

The state government has also assured of the payment of the new minimum wage after the determination of the new scale based on consequential variation.