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Kaduna State Governor, Mr Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa yesterday urged the chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the State, Alhaji Ahmadu Yaro Coca-Cola to seek knowledge and be better informed on national issues instead of exhibiting ignorance.
In a statement signed by his media aide, Reuben Buhari, Yakowa, said, “the attention of the Kaduna State Government has been drawn to a statement credited to the Chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the state, Alhaji Ahmed Yaro Coca Cola, on the recent strike by workers in the state over the new minimum wage.?
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“The government ?has consistently said that it welcomes criticisms from all segment of the society. However, the government is compelled to respond to the statement in view of the deliberate and malicious falsehood being dished out to the public through such comments by the likes of Ahmed Yaro. To set the records straight, the Kaduna State government never said it was not in a position to pay workers in the state the new minimum wage as alleged. Right from the beginning, the State government has consistently said that the state will pay workers the minimum wage.
“ However, the modality for implementation of the new wage has to be worked out in view of the resources available to government.”
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Yakowa while charging the CPC boss to seek knowledge said, “however, government wishes to state that the CPC and its Chairman in Kaduna state should seek correct information on issues before making comments on them. The issue of strike by workers did not start in Kaduna state and will not end in the state. As such those seeking cheap and unwarranted publicity should explore other areas.
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?“The payment of salaries to workers is not the only responsibility of Government as there are other important competing responsibilities of government. So, it was necessary to iron out the grey areas of how and when the payment should commence, which the Labour unions have graciously agreed with.?
It is also important to point out that even the richest states in the country have complained about lack of resources to implement the minimum wage and are therefore, through the Nigeria Governors Forum, canvassing for a review of the sharing formula in order to make more resources available to Government in the states and Local Governments. The government wishes to restate its commitment to improving the welfare of its workers and will continue to implement policies that will impact positively on the workers despite attempt to blackmail the government.”