By Henry Umoru, Abuja
THE thirty-six State governors under the aegis, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, said yesterday that they were not against the payment of the newly aproved national minimum wage to Nigerian workers, but ready to pay once their earnings improved.

Speaking with Journalists in Abuja yesterday during an interactive session, the Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi who commended President Goodluck Jonathan for his courage in passing into law the Freedom of Information bill, FOI, however promised that the governors will cooperate in ensuring that the law works.

Speaking further on the Minimum wage, Amaechi who admitted that the money is not there for the payment of the minimum wage by the states, disclosed that plans were underway for the governors to brainstorm with the Revenue Mobilization, and Fiscal Commission, RMFC and the National Assembly to way a solution to the problem, adding that there must be a solution.

According to him, “I don’t know which states have been able to implement the minimum wage. We are not against it, but we are saying that if you want us to implement it, the money is not there in the states.
‘’There are states that are receiving about 1.6 billion and their salary is about a billion. How will they manage? There

are states that are receiving 2.5 billion and if you have a minimum wage of about N4 billion, how will they manage? Where will they get the N1.5 to augment?

‘’The thing is a bit challenging but I think that when we do meet with the President, the National Assembly, and the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, we will find a solution to it. There must be a solution that allows small money in the hands of state governors so that they can afford to pay this minimum wage.”