No state government would be able to pay the new minimum wage without a concurrent increment in its allocation, Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has said.
He said that whatever is going to be approved as the new minimum wage must reflect fiscal federalism, ability and capacity to pay. He added that since no state in the federation wants to engage in retrenchment of their workforce, it is incumbent on individual states to determine what they could afford that would not end up in the eventual downsizing of the workforce.
The governor used the opportunity to call on workers in Ekiti State to embrace agriculture, adding that his administration had cleared over 2,000 hectares of land to be allocated free of charge to interested Ekiti residents. Mr Oyebanji described civil servants as a critical part of the administration of the state, who represent the propelling force of the state's machinery, as well as a key factor in its power structure.