The Governor of Bayelsa State , Douye Diri has posited that the N70,000 minimum wage adopted by the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu should have been delayed, according to him, inflation will erase whatever gains the increase will have on the economy.
The Governor stated this position during a Media Chat over the weekend in Yenagoa, he said that the value of the naira would have been stabilised before setting the minimum wage of N70,000 so that it will not be affected by the current high inflation.
Governor Diri advocated for dialogue in place of the ongoing protest as the best option to addressing issues in the country.
He said that Bayelsa is peaceful and secure because Bayelsa state indigenes, especially the youth have embraced the peaceful disposition of his administration, he however agreed that protest was the constitutional right of every citizen and applauded the Bayelsa people for maintaining the peace, law and order in the face of a nationwide protest as no meaningful development can take place in an atmosphere of rancour and violence. “On the new national minimum wage, my suggestion is that the value of the naira would have been stabilised before setting the minimum wage of N70,000, so that it will not be affected by the current high inflation.
“It is better to improve the value of our currency because whatever gains made by raising the minimum wage will be wiped away by inflation. “Before August 1, l engaged with the youths, religious bodies and other stakeholders and maintained that dialogue was the best approach because we envisaged that the protest could be hijacked by persons that do not mean well for our state.
“The number one agenda of our administration is peace. There was too much of hatred in the polity.
When we came on board, we first of all set out to unite our people. Today, l am happy to announce that Bayelsans are united more than ever before.” The Governor said.
He used the occasion to draw the attention of the federal government to provide a permanent solution through building of dams to contain flooding, especially as the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET), has predicted heavy flooding in some states , explaining that
the flood challenge of Bayelsa state was not caused by rainfall but the shallowness of the river that needs dredging.
The governor stated that as a result of limited funds, the state government is unable to embark on capital-intensive projects such as building dam and dredging of the rivers.
