Edo Workers Would Enjoy An Increase In Minimum Wage With Fewer Work Days 

Due to the removal of fuel subsidies by the federal government, food and fuel costs have skyrocketed across the country.

By Omotayo Olutekunbi

On Tuesday, June 6, 2023, Gov. Obaseki issued a statement announcing the development.

With the termination of gasoline subsidies by the federal government, food and fuel costs have skyrocketed across the country.

However, to mitigate the impact of the policy on Edo workers, the state government promised in a statement signed by the governor that “if more allocation accrues to our State from the Federal Government given the expected savings occasioned by the removal of the fuel subsidy, we will further increase the workers’ wage.”

“The Edo State Government feels the sorrows of our people and wishes to assure everyone that we are standing with them in these extremely difficult times,” the statement says in part.

“We want to reassure our people that we would do all in our ability as a sub-national administration to alleviate the pains and sufferings our people are now experiencing due to current reality.”

“As a proactive administration, we have since raised the authorized N30,000 minimum pay for employees in Edo State to N40,000, the highest in the country today.”

He also cut the number of work days for state officials to three, stating that his administration is conscious of the suffering created by eliminating the gasoline subsidy.

“The governor’s program has dramatically raised the cost of transit, cutting deeply into the pay of state workers.” As a result, the Edo State Government is lowering the number of work days that civil and public workers must commute to their workplaces from five to three till further notice. He added that employees would now be able to work from home two days each week.

Also, to reduce energy costs, the governor committed to collaborating with state electrical firms to increase power delivery to residences and workplaces.