Our reality is that if we accede to the demands of the labour as they are, we will not be able to do any other thing other than paying workers. Our schools, like the Banni Community Secondary School which I visited today, have collapsed; 
the basic health facilities need to be fixed; and we need to do much more for the rest of the population too.
We have a huge infrastructural deficit and we cannot spend 100% of our earnings on paying salaries.
We have a huge infrastructural deficit and we cannot spend 100% of our earnings on paying salaries.
The school I visited today is totally dilapidated like most schools in Kwara state. It is amazing that students learn inside here. Library is gone. The laboratory is gone. The roofs have largely been blown off.
So, there is need for proper investment in our schools, roads, health and other infrastructure, which we are fixing gradually.
Of course, we want to pay the minimum wage. Where we disagree with the labour is consequential adjustment that they are asking for.
Of course, we want to pay the minimum wage. Where we disagree with the labour is consequential adjustment that they are asking for.
We can only pay the scale that is affordable so that we can also do other things for the rest of the population who also voted for us. We can’t develop as a state with the labour’s request.
Currently the local governments are earn N2.6bn a month and the salaries are almost exactly what they received when you add their other expenses. The unions want an increase of that to N3bn. That is N400m per month increase; from where will the local governments get that?
We are always open to negotiations with the Labour Union. We hope the workers will obey the court injunction and report to work. On our part, we will continue to work on how to improve facilities in our state as much as we will pay salary of our workers.
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