of the National Minimum Wage from N18,000 to N25, 000 with immediate
effect, for employees in the State Public Service.He also promised
prompt payment of outstanding arrears of salary to the staff of Local
Government Councils in the state.Oshiomhole who made the announcement
on Sunday at the grand finale of activities to mark the 2016 Workers
Day, said that plans had also been concluded to pay staff of Egor
Local Government Council who were being owned 13 months arrears of
salary, within the next two weeks.Explaining why the council was
omitted from the bailout to local government councils in 2015, he gave
the assurance that the Edo Government had been meeting with the
Central Bank of Nigeria and that within the next two weeks, the funds
would be released and staff of the council would be paid in full.He
also explained the reason behind the non -appointmentof Caretaker
Committees for the 18 local government councils in the state, after
the end of the tenure of the immediate-past local government
chairmen.According to him, "rather than appoint caretaker committees
for the councils and pay them because they are politicians, we
directed the Heads of Personnel Management in the councils to hold
forth, so that those monies would be used to run the councils and pay
salaries,'' he said.The governor said even if theprice of oil goes to
zero per cent, Edo workers would get their salary alerts before the
end of every month.He assured that he would notuse his office to put
hardshipon any of his workers.Earlier, the State Chairman of the Trade
Union Congress (TUC), Mr Orhue Marshall, appealed to government to
enlist workers in the state in the National Health Insurance Scheme
(NHIS).According to him, this would enable them to have access to
quick and cheap medical facilities, like their colleaguesin the
Federal Public Service.