FG disagree with Governors’ over minimum wage

Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, says the Federal Government is not in support of the N22, 500 proposed by Nigerian state governors as the new minimum wage.

The Minister made this disclosure barely 24 hours after governors under the auspices of Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), unanimously announced N22, 500 as what is affordable to pay workers.

“The governors have not even done enough. I told them that this N22, 500 is even rejected by the Federal Government,” Ngige said.

National Daily had reported that Governor Abdul’Aziz Yari of Zamfara State, who’s the Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), said the N22, 500 would be an increment from the existing N18, 000.

According to Yari, the decision followed an emergency meeting of the governors where they deliberated on the new minimum wage after a briefing from the forum’s representatives at the Tripartite Committee.

The governor noted that the welfare of the people was the ultimate concern for the forum, lamenting the deteriorating economic situation experienced by the vulnerable segment of the populace.

Before agreeing to a figure, he explained that the governors considered the stride of development in their states, particularly in health, education and infrastructure.

Recall that the governors lamented over the proposed new minimum wage. The State governors had unanimously made known that they cannot afford the new minimum wage proposed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

There are indications that the organised labour may resume its suspended strike in November 6. Yari said the governors were not against upward review of the minimum wage, but lack the capacity to pay it.

The NLC had demanded N30, 000 as minimum wage, the governors proposed N20, 000, while the Federal Government said it could afford N24, 000.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in November last year, inaugurated the National Wage Committee led by former minister and Head of Service, Ama Pepple.

During the 40th anniversary of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja, the minister had stated that the new minimum wage would commence before the end of September, this year. He later backtracked, because the state governors were yet to submit their proposal on a new wage system.

In order to mount pressure on the Federal Government, the NLC gave a two-week ultimatum and then commenced a nationwide strike.

The minimum wage was last increased by the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2011 from N7, 500 to N18, 000.