N30, 000 MINIMUM WAGE NOT REALISTIC FOR NIGERIAN WOKERS-GOVERNORS

The forum also nullified insinuations by the labour that its members were unwilling to pay N30, 000 minimum wage were untrue, explaining that they were willing but unable to meet the demand of the workers’ union.

Penpushing further reports that, the forum emphasized in a report titled “Minimum Wage’, that the labour wants Governors who diverted bailouts probed”, arguing that its an attempt by the leadership of the unions to steer the public away from the promise by President Muhammadu Buhari to constitute another committee to review the minimum wage impasse.

“Let it be known that Governors have met the President twice on this matter and presented their books to buttress their point. First, a batch of State Governors, led by the NGF Chairman, Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar of Zamfara State, in company of Govs Ambode of Lagos, Ugwuanyi of Enugu, Bagudu of Kebbi attended a closed-door meeting with the President where the financial standing of six states, one each from all the geopolitical regions in the country, were shown to the president.”

‘The President’s request, all the states forwarded their books, revenues, both internally generated and their earnings from the federation account along with their other sources of revenue, for examination and the President appears satisfied with the Governors’ position, thus the decision to set up a new committee”.

Penpushing also reports that the forum spokesman  said there has never been a time in the country when states have embarked on a more aggressive revenue drive than they are doing today, adding that, “and this is without exception or prejudice to any state,”.

“The President at his last meeting with Governors (December 15, 2018) had admonished them (Governors) to expect harsher economic tides from New Year’s, thus validating Governors’ fears that even those states that had hitherto looked comfortable financially, may in the course of the new year, falter,” he said.

The Head, Media and Public Affairs declared that the  Governors are not under any obligation, by law, to show their books to the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC),stating thus, “but they have, with a view to letting NLC know that what they are asking for is neither realistic nor sustainable’.

“Yet, NLC remains adamant that its will must be done, or the heavens will fall. Already, revenue to states has dropped drastically while demands by competing needs keep rising astronomically. Last year alone, revenue to states dropped from N800 billion when the Tripartite Committee was appointed (November 2017) to between N500 billion and N600 billion by the time Ms Amma Pepple submitted its report in October 2018,” he said.

Penpushing further reports that, he also said it will be difficult for State Governors to dedicate their states’ entire resources to workers’ salaries alone, “knowing that they constitute less than 5 per cent of the nation’s population”.

Penpushing recalled that, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has been at loggerheads with the federal government over a new minimum wage, demanding N30, 000 as minimum wage up from the current N18, 000.

However, President Muhammed  Buhari has refused to commit to the new proposal, but instead during his budget presentation speech said  he would set up a technical committee to review the N30,000 proposed by a tripartite committee earlier set up by the federal government.

Penpushing also reports that, the Nigeria Labour Congress( NLC) said it would not partake in any further negotiation of the N30,000 and that all the President needs to do is send a bill to parliament for a N30,000 minimum wage.