The organized labour has urged Nigerians to exercise patience with both the Federal and State Governments regarding the delay in the implementation of the newly approved minimum wage.
The workers’ union also cleared the Federal Government of any wrongdoing, emphasizing that it would be unjust to accuse the government of intentionally delaying the payment of the new minimum wage.
According to The PUNCH, this call for patience was made by Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission, during an interview on Monday.
On July 29, President Bola Tinubu signed the new minimum wage into law following discussions with the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria.
According to The PUNCH, only seven states—Kano, Kwara, Ogun, Borno, Jigawa, Ondo, and Abia—have established implementation committees for the recently approved N70,000 minimum wage. Several states, including Plateau, Kebbi, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Bayelsa, Delta, Osun, Ekiti, Zamfara, Benue, Enugu, Taraba, Gombe, Kogi, Enugu, Adamawa, Niger, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Katsina, Kaduna, Cross River, and Yobe, have yet to set up such panels.
So far, only Lagos and Edo states have claimed to have started paying the minimum wage.
However, on Monday, the Adamawa government also announced its intention to join the growing list of states willing to implement the new wage.
Despite the delay, Ndubuaku reassured that the process might take some time due to the necessary procedures involved in implementing the N70,000 wage.
Nonetheless, he expressed optimism that the process could be completed by the end of August.
“We have no reason to suspect that [deliberate delay]. In a real sense, signing the wage is just a small component of the main activity. There is something we call consequential adjustment. That involves the calculation of the minimum wage from level one, step one. From there, we will move from stage one to 13 all the way to level 16,” Ndubuaku explained.
He added, “So it is something that may take some time. Again, they are not going to compile them alone. There are templates for compiling it. But they must also carry us along. I believe you are aware there is a committee that is supposed to carry out the necessary adjustments. We expect it should be completed before the end of the month.”
