BY Johnbosco Agbakwuru
Calabar—A member of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Mr. Jake Enyia, has called on the Federal Government to make special grants available to states and local government areas to enable them implement the new minimum wage.

The call came on the heels of the appeal by the state House of Assembly to the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, to adjust the revenue sharing formula to give states and local government areas more funds to enhance the implementation of the national minimum wage.

In a motion on matter of urgent national interest, moved by Mr. Enyia, he  argued that special grants to the states and local government areas would help avert the strike planned by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.

He said that the present revenue formula had placed the states and local government areas at a disadvantaged position, stressing that unless there was an adjustment to the revenue sharing formula, many states would find it difficult to pay the new wage.

Enyia, who represents Boki II state constituency and Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, called on the National Assembly to create the enabling environment to fast track the amendments of the national sharing formula.

The state Assembly also called on NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, to exercise restraints and give government more time to enable the Federal Government amend the sharing formula that would accommodate the new increase.