We sacrifice development in LGA's to implement 30,000 minimum wage-ALGON

We sacrifice development in LGA's to implement 30,000 minimum wage-ALGON

In a brief interview with Hon Ezekiel Vuelgap Pabuet, the Executive Chairman of Mikang LGC and the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) on the ongoing impasse between the LGC Employees and State Government on the N30,000 minimum wage,he hinted that the matter would soon be resolved as the 17 LGC Chairmen have accepted to pay but waiting for the signing of the agreement.

The ALGON Chairman said a lot of sacrifices were put before the realisation of the implementation.

News Parrot: For the purpose of record, may we know you?

Hon. Ezekiel Vuelgap Pabuet: I am Hon. Ezekiel Vuelgap Pabuet,the Executive Chairman of Mikang Local Government Council and the ALGON Chairman of Plateau State.

News Parrot: Sir, how far is the negotiations with the Local Government Staff over the payment of the N30,000 naira minimum wage?

Hon. Ezekiel Vuelgap Pabuet: Actually as law abiding citizens, we are all aware that the Federal Government came up with a policy of N30,000 naira minimum wage for every worker in Nigeria, and in complying with that law as Local Government Chairmen, the 17 Local Government Chairmen have agreed to pay the N30,000 naira minimum wage from levels 01 to 06 and the consequential adjustments have been made.We have made these offers to the union leaders for onward passage down to the workers and the branch union leaders. We have done this in good faith despite the challenges,we just have to do that.

News Parrot: Sir, we also understand that it seems the labour is divided because we saw protests by those of Jos south walking the streets. Is it that the message did not get to them?

Hon. Ezekiel Vuelgap Pabuet: Honestly, that is what some of us are suspecting,because it is quite possible the state leaders are yet to brief their branch leaders, this may be very possible because the signing has not taken place which I think is what is keeping them from telling the branch leaders but in truth we have agreed on the payment if the N30,000 naira minimum wage.

News Parrot: Since you have reached this verdict and most of the workers are not really aware, what will be your call to them?

Hon. Ezekiel Vuelgap Pabuet: My call to them is that when labour negotiations are going on, they are not supposed to be protesting. Another call is for them to wait for the feedback from their leaders. Hopefully by tomorrow we are going to do the final agreement and conclude on all grey areas and do the signing.

News Parrot: Is it right to say that some Local Government Chairmen were not willing to agree to the N30,000 naira Minimum wage until they were forced to?

Hon. Ezekiel Vuelgap Pabuet: Actually, we are talking about the inflow in the Local Government where 99.9% of what comes to the Local Government is from the federations account, so looking at what is coming if you will pay N30,000 minimum wage, nothing will be left for developmental purposes. Nothing will be left, but since they insisted that we have to abide by that law we have no option but to do that and that means developmental projects will suffer and there will be nothing left.

News Parrot: Is it also true that a lot of deductions were made from PLASU, Local Government Service Commission, Local Government Staff Pension Board and the Ministry before you were able to attack this position?

Hon. Ezekiel Vuelgap Pabuet: Yes, we had to sit with the agencies, MDA's and others and all these payment are backed by the law, passed by the State House of Assembly and there will be 1% payment to the Local Government Service Commission, 1% to the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy affairs, 2% to Operation Rainbow, 2.2 Million to PLASU, 2.5 Million to Primary Health Care Board and others which is backed by the law, but with the challenges on ground, we have to look at those payments. I have gone to the round table with the ministries and MDA's to look at it carefully, and agree that for us to achieve this, everybody has to sacrifice. So some where slashed and some where allowed to go.

News Parrot: About the sacrifice,some issues have come up regarding the appointments made by the Local Government Chairmen, some were said to have appointed about a 100 aides who are receiving about N70,000 naira, are you looking in that direction?

Hon. Ezekiel VuelgapPabuet: We have reduced them too. As I said everybody has to sacrifice. Even with the political office holders, we said all appointments that are not backed by the law should be removed completely.