…explains why bandits left state
…says Nasarawa is safest state for investment, agriculture
…meets Shettima ahead of lithium factory commissioning on Friday

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa state, has dismissed the insinuation that state governors are not cooperating with the federal government on the issue.

This comes as the organised labour has called on the Federal Government to expedite action towards the conclusion of negotiations on the new minimum wage.

Sule has also said that the decision of the state and federal governments to erect military camp and construct roads to the areas considered as bandits enclaves has made the criminal elements to desert the state.

Recall that the leaderships of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, of Nigeria, have decried the non completion of negotiations on the new Minimum Wage, even as there are accusing fingers at the state governors of frustrating the speedy conclusion of negotiations of the new wage by the Tripartite Committee set up by the government to that effect.

The lifespan of the old Minimum Wage of N30,000 expired on April 18, 2024 and it was expected that by now a new minimum wage should be in place.

There are also concerns in some quarters over the ability of many states to agree to and be able to pay the new minimum wage to be proposed by the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage.

The concerns turned to a worry few days ago when reports emerged that some governors became unsettled with the decision of the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to raise the minimum wage in his state to ₦70,000.

However, speaking to State House correspondents on Wednesday after meeting behind closed-doors with the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima at the presidential Villa, Abuja, Governor Sule, who said that his comment on minimum wage was his personal view as he is not the appropriate person to speak for the governors also said he spoke about the security situation in Nasarawa State.

Fielding question on the allegation that some state governors have not been paying the N30,000 minimum wage and that some of them are not in tune with the organised labour on the proposed N615,000, the governor said he was not aware of any state not paying the old minimum wage rate, adding that Nasarawa has been paying the N30,000 minimum wage since 2019 and has also implemented promotions, gratuities, and other benefits for workers.

While he explained that governors have not disagreed on matters around plans to review workers’ pays, he explained that a committee established by the federal government is working on the minimum wage, and governors are waiting for the outcome.

According to him, “We’re concerned about the welfare of the workers. In fact, we in Nasarawa state are paying some special allowances called hazard allowance, even to our medical workers, as I’m talking to you right now.

“So I don’t think governors have any problem with the payment of minimum wage. I don’t speak for the governors. Our chairman, the Governor of Kwara, actually speaks for the governors and he will do that at the right time to you.

“But it is incorrect, actually, to say that governors are not interested or are not cooperating. What the governors keep saying is that there is a committee established by the federal government to work on the minimum wage.

“We are waiting for the outcome of that committee and that committee is not just looking at federal government, it’s looking at the state government and organized private sector. So by the time they provide, we don’t want to jump the gun and that’s why we continue to do that.

“You may find one or two states make certain statements, which is okay perfectly in line. Minimum is minimum, when they say minimum wage, it doesn’t mean that somebody cannot be higher than that, dependent on your own cash flow and dependent on your own position. So, I think that’s the position”, Sule said.

Speaking on the security of the state, Governor Sule assured that the state is safe for investment and agriculture, contrary to concerns about security, citing the example of a lithium factory built by foreign investors, which took several years to complete and is now operational.

He claim that Nasarawa is the safest state in the country for agriculture and other activities, explaining that the success story behind the improved security situation in the state was as a result of massive construction of major roads and the establishment of a military super-camp.

Governor Sule highlighted the state’s achievements in agriculture, including being number one in sesame farming, number two in yam and cassava production, and number five in rice production nationwide. He encouraged skeptics to verify these facts for themselves.

“But now coming back to the issue of security that you have mentioned, it took us a while to be able to stabilize the area. First and foremost, they had a very bad road leading to the areas where some of the bandits, kidnappers and so on were settling down.

“We now constructed a major road in the area and the federal government also constructed the major road that comes all the way from Benue into Nasarawa state, which most of the transporters from the eastern part of the country are actually using at the moment.

“We also established what you call military super-camp in the area so there is presence of the military in the area. So all those kidnappers, bandits and others have all left, we don’t have any as far as that area is concerned.

“Nasarawa State is always considered as one of the safest states to do agriculture and others things. Now, coming back to the agriculture that you have mentioned, since the past two to three years, Nasarawa State has been leading in so many areas of agriculture.

“Today, I’m happy to tell you that we are number one in sesame farming in the whole federation, nobody does more than that. We’re number two a yam production throughout the country. We are number two in cassava throughout the country and we are number five in rice production.

“So if people are not going to farms, we’ll not be achieving these kinds of numbers. These are the realities on ground, these are things that you can go and find out on your own. So as far as we are concerned, we’re not saying that there are no kidnappings in Nasarawa, from time to time you’ll find it here and there, but in Nasarawa State there is also oil drilling going on, with the oil drilling I don’t think any of you has ever heard anything about kidnapping and things like that taking place”, he said.

On his mission to state house, Sule disclosed that he had met Shettima to discuss the upcoming commissioning of a lithium factory cited in the state on Friday, expressing optimism that President Bola Tinubu would be present at the event.

“I came to see him for two major issues: we’ve been doing a lot in the area of agriculture, which he has taken upon himself to ensure that things are going well, so he’s been monitoring that on his own. So from time to time we visit and we discuss on the areas of agriculture, which is of great importance to him.

“I came also to discuss about the commissioning of the lithium factory that we’re having on Friday. As you know that this Friday we’re going to commission a 4000 metric tons per day lithium processing factory, which he has always been interested in knowing the outcome of what is happening.

“So we came to discuss that and part of the preparations. In fact we’re hoping Mr President himself will be coming to commission that factory”, he said.