ABUJA—Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State yesterday described as criminal non-payment of salary by some state governments. Lagos State Governor & Chairman, APC National Campaign Council, Edo Governorship Election 2016, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (left), with his Edo State counterpart, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole during his courtesy visit to the Edo State Governor, at the Government House in Benin City, Edo, recently, Some governors in the country are owing their workers up to nine months salary, blaming their failure on the shortfall in the allocation from the Federal Government and are, therefore, canvassing the decentralization of the National Minimum Wage by removing it from the exclusive list. But Governor Oshiomhole noted that if governors could enjoy unified salary structure, they and other politicians had no moral right to criticise national minimum wage for Nigerian workers. Speaking at The Podium, tagged From Activism to Political Power: The Challenges of Democratic Governance in Nigeria, organised by The Kukah Centre, TKC, in Abuja, the governor noted that priority was given to payment of workers’ salary in Edo State. He said it was inconceivable for governors to canvass decentralisation after enjoying a fixed national salary structure in the same manner as National Assembly lawmakers, only to now turn around and say that the national minimum wage should not be applicable to states. “Governors claim that they need maximum security regarding the cost, but it is not realistic to pay workers. Non-payment of wages is a criminal breach of law of contract, whether in recession or in prosperity. “What I questioned and which I don’t accept is that you cannot have a centralised system of compensation for executives, governors, commissioners and local government chairmen. Their pay is centrally-determined and the economy can afford that. ‘’What Lagos State governor is receiving is what Edo State governor is receiving. If we have national compensation, how can these governors turn around and question the wisdom of a national wage structures for workers. “It is that selective application of fiscal federalism that I find extremely offensive and unacceptable. Even today, I remain firm that we must maintain a national minimum wage and we must find ways to implement and adjust it to reflect the cost of living. ‘’It is the duty of government and employers to find the revenue to pay those they hired to work, whether in private or government employment,” Oshiomhole said. Also, former governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, said the country’s economy was in bad shape because civil servants were not being paid. He urged Governor Adams to appeal to his counterparts in other states, particularly in Imo, to pay his workers, as civil servants were not employed to be farmers. In his remarks, chairman of the event and former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, said it was sad that politicians in the country were mostly jobbers and budget padders advocating for themselves and not the society. He said: “They cleverly and surreptitiously apply the word change. I, of course, won’t use that word because as a member

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