As part of measures to cushion the pain of subsidy removal, President Bola Tinubu has directed the National Economic Council (NEC) to come up with inputs on palliatives and the minimum wage review.
The President described the level of impoverishment in the country as “unacceptable,” urging state governors to collaborate with the federal government to tackle poverty nationwide.
Tinubu disclosed this Wednesday during a meeting with members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, led by its Chairman, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State in Abuja.
He directed NEC led by Vice President Kashim Shettima to mobilise various interventions to cushion the hardship faced by the most vulnerable Nigerians.
The President in a statement signed by the State House Director of Information, Abiodun Oladunjoye, advised the political leaders to downplay their differences and jointly focus on alleviating the sufferings and pains of the people,
Tinubu also assured the governors that he would maintain an open-door policy.
He said: “We can see the effects of poverty on the faces of our people. Poverty is not hereditary, it is from society. Our position is to eliminate poverty. Set aside partisan politics, we are here to deliberate about Nigeria and nation-building.
“We have managed ourselves very well to have a democracy. We have campaigned and arrived at our present destination. We must work for our people.
“How do we address the unacceptable level of poverty? How much are we investing in education, which is the only tool against poverty? I am ready to collaborate with you,”
Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting, the Governor of Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun revealed that palliatives and an upward review of Nigeria’s minimum wage, which stood at N30,000 per month topped the discussions.
However, the governor disclosed that any outcome from these interventions would be temporary as the ultimate intervention would be a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Abiodun noted: “Some of us are looking at the enhancement of minimum wage; Mr. President has announced today that NEC should immediately begin to sit, led by His Excellency, the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, and the committee of NEC, alongside the economic team and the marketers should sit down and come up with a wholesome approach that will be beneficial to the common man and the generality of Nigerians.”