Gov. Gabriel Suswam of Benue state on Thursday threatened to reduce the state’s workforce by 40 per cent in order to pay the new minimum wage to primary school teachers in the state.

The governor made the threat while addressing Ukum Local Government indigenes at Zaki-Biam, Benue.

Suswam regretted that the workers refused to sacrifice 10 per cent of their salaries to be able to pay primary school teachers who had been on strike since October, 2013.

According to him, since the workers have refused to make the sacrifice, I have no option than to retrench workers who are redundant.

“As I speak now, the compilation of those to be sacked is going on in Makurdi,” he said

On May Day, the governor appealed to workers to sacrifice 10 per cent of their take home pay to enable him pay teachers who had been protesting the non-payment of their minimum wage.

The workers rejected the governor’s proposal and walked out on him at the venue of the workers day celebration in Makurdi.