The Secretary to the SGF Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, has lamented government’s inability to pay minimum wage demanded by the Nigerian Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress.

This revelation came during his address to a Christian group on Thursday, as he sought their support amid ongoing negotiations by the Tripartite Committee on the national minimum wage with the Organised Labour.

In his address, Akume stated, “I can’t afford to pay my drivers N100,000 each because they are four of them, along with other dependants. Labour initially demanded N600,000, which equates to approximately N9.9 trillion for the federal government. Where do we get that money from? Then labour reduced it to N400,000, which still amounts to over N5 trillion. We are asking for understanding because we simply cannot meet these demands.

He further explained, “We are exploring alternative solutions, such as housing schemes. The Federal Housing authorities are actively collecting lands across states to create housing facilities for a significant portion of the Nigerian populace.”