The Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, said Tuesday that his administration cannot pay the new national minimum wage of N70,000.

Mr Yahaya, who chairs the Northern Governors Forum, spoke at a meeting with labour leaders, civil society organisations, and traders associations at the Government House in Gombe, ahead of the planned nationwide protest.

He said Gombe State’s limited allocation from the federation account makes it impossible to implement the increased wage package. This is despite the fact that the federal allocation to Gombe and all other states has increased since President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidies.

“I cannot pay the N70,000 minimum wage, and I suspect many other states are in the same predicament,” he said.
He said even the previous minimum wage of N30,000 was a struggle for many state governments to implement.