John Adams, Minna

Civil servants in Niger State  may have to wait till 2020 before benefitting from the new minimum wage  owing to the failure of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello to make provision for it in the 2019 budget.

Daily Sun learnt that in the presentation of the Mid-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) to the House of Assembly, the governor failed to make provision for the new minimum wage.

The House, however, approved the MTEF  for 2020 budget with an adjustment, yesterday, in Minna.

The House, in its  recommendation said: “MTEF did not take into consideration the new minimum wage, transfer of staff from ministries, department and agencies (MDAs) to tertiary institutions, five per cent pension redemption, and two per cent outstanding pension liability.”

“In view of this situation, there was need for adjustment in the oil production benchmark of 2.0million barrel per day to 2.10 million barrel per day, and oil price benchmark of $55 per barrel to $56 per barrel in other to provide the require revenue to finance them”.

The House also carried out variations to the statutory allocation projection for 2020 from N64.3 billion to N66.790 billion.

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As a result of the variation, the 2020 budget size of N149.983 billion has been increased to N152.412  billion.

The development also affected the capital expenditure which now stands at N90.587 billion as against N88.158 billion.

This decisions were taken at a sitting presided over by Speaker Abdullahi Bawa Wuse.

Meanwhile, the  House has confirmed  20 commissioner nominees, a week after they were screened.

The nominees were unanimously confirmed through a voice vote following a motion by the Majority Leader, Musa Nasko.

During the screening, which lasted four days, some of the nominees were asked to take a bow and go, while others were grilled.

The nominees include Nasara Dan Mallam, Zakari Abubakar, Haliru Jikantoro, AbdulMalik Sarkin Daji, Mukhtar Nasaleh, Ramatu Yardua, Ibrahim Panti, Hannatu Saleh and Rifkatu Chidawa. Others are Mustapha Jibrin, Yusuf Suleiman, Emmanuel Umar, Mohammed Idris, Tanko Zakari, Sunday Kolo, Haruna Dukku, Mamman Musa, Maku Sidi, Tasala Marafa and Abubakar Aliyu.