Inuwa Yahaya, the Gombe State Governor, said that his administration cannot afford the new national minimum wage of N70,000, with the lean allocation to the state.

The minimum wage was recently assented to by President Bola Tinubu following an agreement with joint labour unions.

Speaking on Tuesday during a meeting held with stakeholders on the planned nationwide #Endbadgovernance protest at the banquet hall of Gombe Government House, Yahaya declared, “I cannot pay the N70,000 minimum wage, and I suspect many other states are in the same predicament.”

The governor also said that Gombe State has yet to receive the promised 20 trucks of rice from the federal government, intended to alleviate the suffering of its citizens.

He said, “We are yet to receive the Federal Government’s 20 trucks of rice to Gombe State.”

Despite this, he emphasised the state’s commitment to providing relief to its citizens, citing previous palliative distributions and ongoing investments in human capital development, education, health, and agriculture among others.

Speaking on the protest, Yahaya reiterated the importance of peaceful and orderly conduct, acknowledging the role of civil society organisations, labour unions, and traders in maintaining social stability and economic resilience.

He called for continued cooperation and dialogue to collectively navigate these challenging times.

Presenting a list of demands on behalf of Non-Governmental Organisations, the Chairman, the Gombe Network of Civil Society Organisations, Yusuf Ibrahim, urged the governor to release the list of stocked palliatives.