Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has stressed the need for the Federal Government to allocate more funds to the states to help them meet the direct needs of the public.
Fayemi who spoke on a Television/Radio network programme in Ado-Ekiti late Monday said the approval of the new minimum wage by the Federal Government required new moves to be made to increase states’ funding to enable them effectively take up the responsibility.
The governor, however, assured workers that his colleagues in the Nigeria Governors’ Forum were committed to the payment of the new minimum wage as soon as the Federal Government releases the template.
“We have a bigger issue, which does not necessarily apply to workers, it’s about re-ordering the revenue allocation formula in the country, because you cannot continue to impose on states a tyranny of unfunded mandate,” he said.
“If you want us to take responsibility for certain things then it’s only fair that we are funded to take responsibility for them. So, right now, 52 per cent of the Nigerian resources goes to the Federal Government; 26 per cent to state governments, and 20 per cent to local governments. We feel that this ought to be revisited and the allocation formula needs to be reviewed,” he said.
On the issue of minimum wage, Fayemi said: “Governors were part of the negotiations, there is no uncertainty around government’s commitment. It’s been signed into law, so, governors definitely would honour the law as it is.”
While assuring workers that his government would continue to ensure prompt payment of their salaries, the governor urged them to improve on their level of productivity to justify the huge resources government was expending on them.
