Gombe to review budget, suspends new wage

• Kogi has no COVID-19 case, says govt
• Benue churches partially comply with ban

Gombe State Government has ordered a review of its 2020 budget while suspending the new minimum wage of N30,000.

The Deputy Governor, Dr. Manassah Jatau, revealed this on Saturday while briefing newsmen in Gombe on the state of the economy.

Jatau said the decision to review the budget and suspend the new wage was due to the current reality on the ground occasioned by the Coronavirus pandemic on the world economy.

He stated that the decision was reached following a meeting with the standing committee on the payment of the minimum wage on March 26, adding that the suspension would take effect from March.

“We have directed the Ministry of Finance to review the 2020 budget downward in order to reflect the reduction in the price of oil in the international market and the subsequent adoption of $30/barrel benchmark by the Federal Government.

“The minimum wage increment and its consequential adjustments adopted by the state have been suspended until when the economy of the state improves,” he stated.

According to Jatau, all government appointees will have their salaries reviewed downward to reflect the current reality and as a sacrifice to the state.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State government has said that no case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in the state, and urged those who have just returned from an affected country or state to report to the state’s squadron committee.

The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, stated that by doing so, they would be playing a patriotic role of saving the state from the ravaging virus.

However, churches in Benue State yesterday partially observed the state government’s directive to suspend all bogus Sunday activities to curb the spread of the pandemic.

The state government on Saturday announced its first case of COVID-19, a development which made it to further ban all religious gatherings of over 50 worshippers as well as weddings and burials.