The Commissioner for Information in Enugu state, Mr Chidi Aroh, said on Friday that government had set up a committee to negotiate the implementation of the minimum wage with the organised labour in the state.
Aroh disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Enugu on the outcome of the State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting.
He said that the government representatives in the committee would be headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Simon Ortuanya.
He described the constitution of the committee as a fallout of a meeting between government and the leadership of the organised labour.
He said that it had become imperative to deal with the issues arising from the consequential adjustment in the new minimum wage in the state.
The commissioner said that the state government and organised labour had five representatives apiece in the committee.
“The committee is charged to immediately consider all issues arising from the new minimum wage and agree on consequential adjustment to the salaries and wages of workers,” he said.
Aroh said that in reaching an agreement, the committee would need to consider the realities of implementing the consequential adjustment.
On agriculture, the commissioner said that EXCO approved N100 million for the Ministry of Agriculture for the branding and marketing of Coal City Rice.
He said that the rice would be purchased from registered local farmers in the state at a standardised price and sold to the public at an affordable price.
The commissioner, however, said that the intervention would be done especially during the festive period.
He said that government decided to act as an off-taker for the rice produced in the state in order to encourage and protect the interest of farmers in the state.
Aroh said that government had a long-term plan for massive rice milling and processing in the state.
