Former campaign spokesperson of President Bola Tinubu in the southeast, Dr Josef Onoh, criticized the state governors for opposing the federal government’s proposed N62,000 new minimum wage for workers. Onoh emphasized that the governors should tap into federal government policies to alleviate the hardship in the region and not burden the federal government with salary responsibilities.
He argued that the federal government has been working towards economic stability, tackling inflation, and promoting security, and shifting the minimum wage burden to the federal government would be counterproductive. Onoh also pointed out that states like Edo, Rivers, and Lagos have taken the initiative to pay the new minimum wage, highlighting the failure of the southeast governors to tap into federal policies.
Onoh urged the southeast governors to open up farmlands for agriculture to create jobs and provide food for the population. He reiterated President Tinubu’s commitment to fulfilling campaign promises and emphasized the need for state governments to prioritize their responsibilities in implementing the new minimum wage.