The Benue State Government has announced that it would let workers have a day off from the normal working week, to enable them work on their farms. The decision which was reached at the 18th meeting of the state’s executive council affords workers in Benue state the chance to attend to their crops on Fridays, starting from June 10.
The State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Odeh Ageh, said that the policy adopted by the executive council of the state was informed by the need for workers to feed their families despite the economic troubles they were going through at the moment. He admitted that the state government was struggling to pay salaries regularly.
Although the state is known for its agricultural prowess, it has borne its share of economic woes arising from the fall in oil prices, as allocations to it from the Federation account has dwindled. Last year, the state government secured an agreement with labour in the state which allowed it to pay its workers on a bi-monthly basis.
Workers who double as farmers have a few weeks to make the most of the work-free Friday policy; it is expected to last until the end of July, according to the state’s commissioner for information.
