Northern govs under fire over refusal to pay N150,000

From Sola Ojo, Abuja

A coalition of northern youth associations under the aegis of the Joint Action Committee of Northern Youth Associations (JACON) has accused governors in the 19 northern states of worsening poverty and underdevelopment through their refusal to implement a proposed N150,000 minimum wage for workers despite increased allocations from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC).

JACON’s National Director of Public and Strategic Communication, Muhammed Isa, alongside the group’s Secretary General, Raphael Terkolar, yesterday, alleged that revenues accruing to states after the removal of fuel subsidy had failed to improve workers’ welfare.

According to the group, state governments now receive significantly higher allocations following the subsidy removal policy, but workers continue to face stagnant wages, unpaid salaries and worsening living conditions.

JACON stated that the refusal of governors to prioritise workers’ welfare had intensified multidimensional poverty across northern Nigeria.

“Official data from state treasuries and the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee confirm that monthly allocations to northern state governments have increased sharply, in several cases doubling or even tripling since the subsidy removal,” the statement said.

The group argued that rather than investing the increased revenue in welfare programmes, most governors had allegedly channeled the funds into “opaque spending, inflated contracts and recurrent expenditures that bypass the working class entirely.”

It further lamented that workers across the region were grappling with poor purchasing power amid inflation, unpaid salary arrears and mounting debt burdens.

“Stagnant wages still far below N150,000 cannot cover basic food needs despite soaring inflation,” the group stated.

The coalition warned that refusal to pay a living wage was contributing to rising malnutrition, school dropouts, poor healthcare access and insecurity across the North.

“When workers are not paid living wages or regular salaries, households cannot afford nutritious food, families withdraw children from school, healthcare access collapses and debt traps deepen.”

JACON also linked poverty and unemployment to worsening insecurity in the region, including banditry and kidnapping.

“Mass poverty among able-bodied workers fuels recruitment into banditry, kidnapping and other organised crimes directly threatening rural and urban stability,” the statement added.

JACON, therefore, demanded the immediate adoption and implementation of a N150,000 minimum wage for all state and local government workers across northern Nigeria.

The group also called for the clearance of unpaid salary arrears and pension deductions within 90 days, as well as the monthly publication of FAAC allocations and welfare expenditures to ensure transparency.

In addition, the coalition urged governors to establish Workers’ Welfare Trust Funds funded with at least 30 percent of the subsidy windfall received by states.

JACON warned that it would mobilise voters against governors and lawmakers who fail to prioritise workers’ welfare for the next general elections.

“We will embark on a massive, state-by-state reawakening of the electorate. Your vote is your only weapon.

“Reject any governor or lawmaker who received increased revenue, yet refused to pay a N150,000 minimum wage or prioritise your welfare,” the group declared.

The coalition maintained that northern workers were closely monitoring how state governments utilised the increased allocations.

“The revenue is there. The workers are watching. And on election day, the worker’s thumb will guide the future,” the statement added.