There were wild jubilations in Akure yesterday as civil servants trooped in their hundreds to celebrate the approval of the N18,000 minimum wage by the Ondo State government.
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Governor Dr Olusegun Mimiko had earlier in the morning met with Labour leaders in the state where it was agreed that the state government has decided to fully obey the New Minimum Wage Law by effecting the payment of the N18,000 to its lowest paid employee.
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According to the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Ranti Akerele, in a statement yesterday said, the decision was in appreciation of the need to fully obey the letters and spirit of the New Minimum Wage Act. The government, he said, would immediately commence the implementation of the new minimum wage as against the N14, 000 relativity pay agreed upon recently.
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“The decision of government is borne out of the need to finally lay to rest the apprehension and debate over the disposition of the state to a valid law of the land vis-a-vis its avowed commitment to the welfare of workers in the state.
“In arriving at this decision, has accepted that it has to do a lot reengineering of the financial resources at the disposal of the state government,” Akerele said.