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Representatives of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and President Muhammadu Buhari rose from a closed-door meeting on Monday over the controversial new national minimum wage but failed to make any pronouncement on the matter.
The governors after the meeting that held at the presidential villa, Abuja declined to speak to newsmen.
The meeting with president arose following the refusal of the governors buy into the agreement between labour, the private sector and the federal government to pay the N30,000 per month minimum wage to workers.
The governors insist that such payment will bankrupt many states.
The meeting, held behind closed doors, did not yield any fruit as the governors did not change their stand.
The governors had before the submission of the report of the Tripartite Committee that negotiated the new National Minimum Wage, said states can only pay N22,500.
The Federal Government equally said it could afford N24,000.
But Organised Labour, represented by the Trade Union Congress and Nigeria Labour Congress, insisted on N30,000.
At Monday’s meeting were the Chairman of the NGF and Governor of Zamfara state, Abdulaziz Yari and the Minister of Labour and productivity, Chris Ngige.
Others governors at the meeting include Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, Senator Atiku Abubabakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, David Umahi of Ebonyi State, and Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State.
The governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and his Kaduna Kaduna State counterpart, Nasir el Rufai were also at the meeting.
The meeting comes a week after the governors had an emergency meeting after which they announced they would not be able to pay the N30,000 per month minimum wage being demanded by labour unions.
The governors are insisting the they could only be able to pay the minimum wage if federal allocation was increased.
