Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo has approved N72,500 as the new minimum wage for workers in the state, effective from October 2024.

Ododo gave the approval after receiving the report of the Kogi State Minimum Wage Implementation Committee headed by the State Head of Service, Elijah Avenemi, at the Government House in Lokoja, the state capital, on Monday, October 7, 2024.

The approved N72,500 minimum wage is N2,500 higher than the N70,000 national minimum wage bill passed by the National Assembly and signed into law in July by President Bola Tinubu.

The governor also gave tax relief to all the workers in Kogi State for the next one year.

He reaffirmed his commitment to the overall welfare of all cadres of workers in the state, adding that no pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) tax or any form of deductions would be made within the next one year.

Ododo said: “Having been a labour leader and a civil servant before going into partisan politics, I knew what the civil servants were passing through.

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“Now that God has made me the governor, I will do all within the state resources to provide succour for the state workforce.

“I cannot forget where I came from; I am a man from a humble background who became who I am by the grace of God. I 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.”

Ododo noted that the committee’s report was a painstaking efforts of the labour leaders and government who conducted staff audit screenings in the previous administration to ensure that genuine workers got their entitlements.

The governor also enjoined the workers to continue to support his administration to succeed, assuring them of continued prompt payment of their salaries.

Speaking, the Kogi State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Gabriel Amari, who spoke on behalf of organised labour, commended the governor for his efforts.

Amari described Ododo as the best workers-friendly governor Kogi State ever had.

The Star