Minimum Wage: Governors to Make Final Decision on Tuesday

• Minimum Wage: Governors to Make Final Decision on Tuesday

The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) will on Tuesday, October 30 hold an emergency meeting to decide the national minimum wage, according to Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara.

Yari, who spoke with State House correspondents after an expanded Economic Management Team meeting at presidential Villa on Monday in Abuja, said the Governors are willing to pay the proposed amount but the issue has always been the capacity of states to pay.

“The position of the governors is not very clear to some of you –that we are willing to pay the amount but the issue is the capacity– the muscle to pay,” Yari said.

“We discussed that government has some numbers and eventually the committee has given some proposals but the governors have not come out with any amount.”

“So, tomorrow, we are going to discuss with governors and say: look at what labour is sending.”

“Look at the bill that was directed by the minister of labour and employment to be sent to the NGF’s secretariat so that we can digest the content of the bill; discuss it and come up with our position as governors because we are critical partners on this,’’ Yari added.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had on October 24 issued a strike notice over disagreement arising from the Federal Government’s inability to accept the proposed N30,000 minimum wage demanded by the NLC.

Dr. Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, recently said the Federal Government is proposing N24,000 minimum wage while state governors are looking at N20,000.

This, the NLC is unlikely to accept as a communique issued at the end of an emergency meeting had by the organisation and signed by its President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, directed labour to commence an indefinite strike from November 6.

However, the governors are meeting on Tuesday to discuss what should be appropriate minimum wage considering states financial position.