Edo State Responds to Fuel Subsidy Removal: Increases Minimum Wage and Institutes Three-Day Work Week

In a recent development on Tuesday, the Edo State Government publicly expressed deep understanding and sympathy towards its citizens, due to the challenging economic climate following the elimination of fuel subsidies by the Federal Government. This policy shift has significantly increased fuel prices, directly affecting the costs of goods and services, thereby exacerbating the living expenses for the common man.

The state’s governor, Godwin Obaseki, addressed the public, announcing measures the government intends to adopt in response to these difficult circumstances. In view of the substantial rise in transportation costs, it was declared that civil and public servants in the state will now only be required to report to their workplaces three days a week, as opposed to the regular five days, in order to alleviate the financial pressure on them.

Governor Obaseki went on to express, “As the Edo State Government, we deeply empathize with the struggles of our people during these trying times, and want to assure them that we stand firmly by their side. We wish to communicate to our citizens that we will do everything in our capacity as a sub-national government to lessen their hardships and mitigate the adverse impacts that they are currently facing due to the prevailing circumstances.

“In alignment with our commitment to the well-being of our citizens, and as a part of our proactive governance, we had previously initiated an increase in the minimum wage paid to workers in Edo State from the approved N30,000 to N40,000 – the highest in the country today. I would like to take this opportunity to reassure everyone that we are committed to maintaining this wage structure, and, subject to financial capacity, we will even strive to enhance it further, especially if our allocation from the Federal Government increases due to the savings arising from the removal of the fuel subsidy.”

As the governor elaborated further on the government’s plans, he said, “We are acutely aware of the strain that this policy shift has caused, particularly with the exponential increase in the cost of transportation, which has significantly eroded the earnings of the state’s workers. As such, in an effort to alleviate this burden, we have decided to decrease the number of workdays, from five to three, that civil and public servants will need to commute to their workplaces.

“Moreover, for the benefit of teachers, parents, and students, we are considering revising the frequency of commuting to schools by enhancing the EdoBEST@Home initiative, aimed at providing more virtual classes. This move aims to ease the financial burden on parents, teachers, and students alike by reducing their commuting costs. Detailed information on this initiative will be provided by the Edo SUBEB in the forthcoming days.

“In order to address the surge in energy costs faced by our citizens, we are determined to continue our collaboration with the electricity companies operating in the state to augment power supply to households and businesses. Additionally, we are making provisions for fiber optic connections to enable remote work, consequently lowering transportation costs for our people.

“During this incredibly challenging period, while the government amplifies its efforts to alleviate the impact of the fuel price increase on the people, we urge everyone to maintain their composure and continue their daily activities in a lawful manner,” the governor concluded.