Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom on Friday said states are willing to pay the N30,000 national minimum wage but would do better if the revenue sharing formula undergoes an upward review.
Ortom stated this while explaining that an upward review of the revenue sharing formula in the country would ensure more money was made available to states and local governments for greater development.
He spoke today at the Benue Peoples House in Makurdi, the state capital, when the Federal Commissioner representing Benue State at the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, Chief Adaa Maagbe paid him a courtesy visit.
The governor said it is no longer feasible for states to cope with development realities and the new national minimum wage using the current revenue sharing.
Ortom reaffirmed his directive to caretaker chairmen in the state and the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to comply with the guidelines issued by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, pending the hearing and determination of the suit filed by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum challenging the constitutionality of the new regulations.
The Governor expressed appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for finding Mr. Maagbe worthy of the appointment, expressing the hope that Benue would fare better in terms of revenue sharing than the past two years when the state had no representative at the RMAFC.
