JUST IN: Governor Usman Ododo set to increase the Minimum Wage for Kogi State workers to N72,500

The governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo has endorsed the payment of the new minimum wage of 72500 for workers in Kogi State.

The N72,500 wage is N2,500 greater than the recent wage that the federal government approved in July this year for workers in private and public sectors.

Ododo who arrived the approval while receiving a report from the Kogi state minimum wage implementation committee led by the state Head of Service, Hon Elijah Avenemi, vowed to facilitated the welfare of all workers in the state.

The governor also offered tax exemptions to the state workers for the next year saying that no worker in the state will pay Pay- as – you – earn ( PAYE) tax or any other form of deductions in the next year.

According to Governor Ododo, having been a labour leader and a civil servant before going into partisan politics, he knew what the civil servants were going through and that now that God had made him the governor, he would do all within his power to provide succor for the state workforce.

His words: “I can not forget where I came from, I am a man from a humble background who became who I am by the grace of God and will therefore not use my position to oppress anyone but to better the lots of the people.

“You people generously elected me as your governor, and the resources of the state belong to you all, I am just your chief servant and I will ensure that the resources are allocated to all sectors fairly and equitably.

“All you have seen today is the painstaking efforts of the labour leaders and government who conducted staff audit screenings in the previous administration all in a bid to ensure that the right people take what belongs to them as workers and not ghost workers,” he added.