The Peoples Democratic Party governors have expressed their readiness to pay the N30,000 new minimum wage approved by the Federal Government.
But in a communiqué read by the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Seriake Dickson, after their meeting at Bayelsa State Government Lodge in Abuja on Thursday night, they urged the President to present a bill before the incoming National Assembly to review the constitution to accommodate a fresh revenue allocation formula.
The PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus; Senate President, Bukola Saraki; and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, were present at the meeting.
The governors were Dickson (Bayelsa), Emeka Ihedioha (Imo), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Udom
Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo).
Others were Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi.)
Dickson said, “We are very eager to pay the N30,000 new minimum wage to alleviate the plight of workers.
“We want to do so to alleviate the plight of the long-suffering Nigerian workers who have been underpaid and who are currently groaning about the economic hardship as a result of what has gone wrong with the economy since the APC government took over. We therefore call on Mr President to urgently present a bill before the incoming National Assembly to review the constitution to accommodate a fresh revenue allocation formula in the country.”
According to the Bayelsa State governor, the PDP governors deliberated on the alleged diversion of local government allocations by state governments and condemned it.
He said no PDP governor was involved in the diversion of council allocations and challenged the Federal Government to name the states and the governors who tampered with council funds.
Dickson said, “We maintain that PDP states do not indulge in such a reprehensible conduct. “In our case, we know the reverse is the case. The state governments, rather have been supporting, subsidising and funding the local governments. We call on the Federal Government and the agencies that have been making this allegation to name the state governments and possibly even tell us the date and the people who were in charge at the time the diversion took place because for us we do not indulge in it and we also want to join in condemning it.”
The forum also expressed its concern with the alleged politicisation of security apparatus in some states by the Federal Government.
According to the governors, this could be the reason behind the growing insecurity in some parts of the country.
