LGs won’t have difficulty paying N70,000 wage – Chairman

The Chairman of the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of  Lagos State, Fatai Ayoola, has said no local government should have difficulty paying the newly-approved N70, 000 minimum wage.

Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Thursday, Ayoola said with the newly-granted financial autonomy and increased allocation to the LGs, paying the new minimum wage would be no problem.

According to him, local governments have recorded 100 per cent increase in federal allocation under the present administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“There is no reason councils should not be able to pay the minimum wage, with direct federal allocations to them.

“Ajeromi-Ifelodun pays more than the minimum wage in terms of allowances added to the salaries of our members of staff.

“Paying the minimum wage will not pose any issue to us and will not affect our ongoing and future projects,” the council chairman said.

He added that the council regularly gave palliatives to its staff and community members.

“We buy a trailer of rice on a monthly basis and we bag the rice into 10kgs and sell for less than N7,000 to people in our communities.

“We also distribute portions of cow meat, we take care of security outfits that support in protecting our environment,” he said.

He commended President Tinubu for facilitating financial autonomy for local governments.

He said local governments should make more impact on their communities and ensure accountability.

Ayoola added that local council officials should make necessary sacrifices for the good of the people at the grassroots.

He told NAN that the council’s management, including councillors, donated their three months’  salaries for the rebuilding of the council’s secretariat burnt by hoodlums during the 2020 #EndSARS protest.

“When our premises were gutted by fire during the #EndSARS protest, we lost 84 vehicles, 26 of which were brand new.

“The Federal Government did not give us anything but the Lagos State Government gave us six vehicles,” he said.

Ayoola urged Nigerians to hold their local government chairmen accountable.