The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Wage

  • Optimum wage; refineries; drownings

    Optimum wage; refineries; drownings

    Hurray, Imo State has followed some other states and has increased minimum wage from N70k to N104k, Ebonyi State increased minimum wage to N90k. Government sets the minimum wage and often it is not the optimum wage required for a wage earner to live a normal life without having to get a second job. It is well known that the N70k is not adequate to exist especially when it is realised that it does not even fill the petrol tank of an average car and over half of it will be spent by the worker merely trying to get to work on the 20 working days in the month. All other governors must do as much or better to lift the economy at the local level.

    We agree that the federal government’s macro-economic measures are working and that perhaps the worst of the financial pain is over. However, more state governments and LGAs should join in to increase availability of funds not for politicians, but at the grassroots by paying an optimum, not minimum wage, to all government workers. This will force a rise in the salaries paid to private sector workers and help compensate for the crash in the value of the naira.              

    Congratulations to all young winners of sports and academic prizes and especially Nafisa Abdullah Aminu, the Teeneagle Global Champion. Education, Education, Education in all areas including computer use and Artificial Intelligence are vital to secure the future for each and every one of our teeming youth in and out of school. We must spend the over N100+billion UBEC unspent funds wasting away  and encourage corporate Nigeria and the ETF and PTAs and Old Students Associations at primary and secondary and tertiary levels to get more involved in quality education infrastructure.

    Certainly, reward successful students in order to encourage them but we are responsible for the useful education of many millions. Crime can be committed by the educated and the uneducated and it is a crime on the part of government not to educate them adequately to their full cerebral and social potential.

    The NNPC Plc announcement that ‘long term neglect hinders refinery revamp’ is correct but it is common knowledge. It also demonstrates the demon on the backs of Nigerians since forever.

    Read Also: Fed Govt opens doors to local, foreign partnerships on renewable energy

    Fortunately, our new NNPCL board is pointing to the truth. But how much of this truth was deliberate neglect, sabotage or corruption or all three together responsible? This would have been prevented if we had in place a past good honest greedless leadership and a compulsory annual forensic financial and technical audit which should have quickly alerted monitoring authorities to the crimes long before they crippled the country. Nigeria’s losses in prestige, indices of transparency and stolen funds are not calculable in currency but they are in human progress and SDGs-Sustainable Development Goals. The trauma inflicted on the citizenry by the 40 year ‘Turn Around Maintenance’, ‘TAM Scam’, full of hope, sadly signifying nothing, has victims in every home and on street corner in Nigeria, victims deprived by the theft of that money and loss of the use of the petroleum products not produced. A theft of our patrimony, our golden fleece, lost because some preferred a mess of pottage.

    When politicians steal, they actually believe and laughingly say ‘it is not your father’s money’ or ‘has your father lost some money?’ However, it is our fathers’ money and our inheritance in every budget. There is no ‘nobody’s money’ in Nigerian government budgets.

    Just because you do not see the blood of Nigeria’s victims of corruption does stop you from seeing the sorrowful soul of the suffering masses in the eyes and poorly clad bodies and poor upward development of the street people you pass every day. Yes, they laugh and joke because corruption and poverty diminish but do not deprive them of moments of pleasure from a joke or the company of a loving family or friends.

    When is corruption enough; when is corruption at a dangerous level and when will it give way to good governance in the interest of citizen and national survival of even the corrupt individuals -10, 20, 40%? What really happened to the money annually allocated to the now infamous recurring budget ‘TAM’ Scam? While we applaud the current board of management for stating the well know obvious, we must ask if this board has introduced the preventive measures necessary QUARTERLY FORENSIC AUDITS, FINANCIAL ALARMS AND to make NNPCL operate successfully like other similar organisations worldwide?

    The greater fear is that a new government in future may, for greed-sake, introduce a low morality board to reverse any positives from this board. That is our collective fear because abuse, misuse of petroleum resources has been the single most destructive and regressive event hindering the development of the citizens and the country in the past. Will it continue to prevent our progress in the future? We must work and pray that the benefits of the petroleum industry reach all of us and not just a few, as it was in the past up to the very recent past.

    Sokoto loses 100 to another canoe accident. Do we learn no lessons? It would appear that the repeated request for citizens in the canoes to wear life jackets and for no action to be taken is a failure of governance to protect youth from their parents if children were involved. 

  • 774 Councils can’t afford to pay N62,000 wage, say chairmen

    774 Councils can’t afford to pay N62,000 wage, say chairmen

    • Pay rise poses threat to national stability, Rewane warns

    The raging controversy over the proposed new minimum wage remains unabated.

    Yesterday, Chairmen of the 774 local governments said they would not be able to pay N62,000.

    They dismissed the N250,000 proposal by organized labour as unaffordable.

    N62,000 is the proposed amount as agreed to by the Federal/State Governments and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) at the conclusion of negotiations by the Tripartite Committee.

    Labour differed, pushing for N250,000.

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday announced plans to send the agreed amount to the National Assembly for legislative action.

    But labour insisted there is no agreement yet.

    Yesterday, the Supreme Court reserved judgment in the dispute between the Federal Government and State governments over autonomy for the local government councils.

    Also, the Managing Director of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane,  warned that without a corresponding boost in productivity, the proposed increase in minimum wage could spell economic disaster for the country.

    Not affordable, says ALGON

    Speaking through Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) chairman Aminu Muazu-Maifata, said local government cannot pay the wage due to financial constraints.

    He said the allocation to the local governments from the Federation Account were meagre.

    Muazu-Maifata, who spoke on a national television, said: “With the present allocation from the Federation Account, no local government council in Nigeria can afford to pay N62,000.”

    He pointed out that local governments receive only slightly above 18 percent of the total revenue accruing to the Federation Account, while the Federal Government receives more than 52 percent.

    He stressed: “Presently, 90% of our inflow from the Federation Account goes into salaries and pensions. Without an upward review of the percentage of allocation to local government councils, it will be extremely difficult or even impossible for them to pay a N62,000 minimum wage.”

    Muazu-Maifata, who is chairman of Lafia Local Government, Nasarawa State, appealed for understanding and assistance from higher authorities, noting that local governments would have to turn to governors and the Federal Government for financial augmentation, if a new minimum wage law is enacted.

    Read Also: Aiyedatiwa, Agboola, 15 others make final list of Ondo Gov candidates

    He said: “We will have to run to our principals, the governors, and the Federal Government to augment whatever will be accrued to local government councils from the Federation Account.”

    Muazu-Maifata said councils perform multiple functions beyond salary payments, adding that these obligations should be considered when determining an affordable and sustainable minimum wage.

    The roles, he said, include the provision of basic health services, education, sanitation, security, rural roads, potable drinking water, and rural electrification.

    Muazu-Maifata called for a collaborative resolution of the wage crisis among the Organised Labour, states and the Federal Government.

    He said: “We are watching and hoping that an agreeable result will be reached. Local governments are prepared to comply with any legally enacted minimum wage, but require financial support to do so.

    On overstaffing and ghost workers, Muazu-Maifata cautioned against the potential fallout of mass layoffs.

    He said: “Past administrations have overflown the workforce, leading to redundancy. Tackling this would affect many families negatively.”

    Rewane: wage increase, threat to national stability,

    Rewane, who on another programme, said wage increase could lead to severe long-term implications.

    He said: “The issue with minimum wages is that increasing them without a parallel rise in productivity due to infrastructural challenges like power shortages could effectively be tantamount to printing money,” Rewane explained.

    He emphasised the urgency of addressing productivity alongside wage hikes to maintain economic stability.

    Rewane highlighted the multifaceted nature of the negotiations, involving federal, state, and local governments, as well as the private and informal sectors.

    He said “It’s not just a matter of agreeing on numbers; it’s about balancing wages against national productivity and welfare.”

    He also alluded to the legal implications of non-compliance with minimum wage laws, saying that  “failure to pay the minimum wage is punishable by hefty fines, which could exacerbate financial burdens for businesses.”

    Rewane stressed: “Amidst the wage standoff, Nigeria also grapples with a downturn in crude oil production, declining by more than  two percent. The decline is attributed  to various factors, including divestment and operational challenges. This could impact national revenues and fiscal stability.”

    He called for a collaborative approach to resolving the crisis to mitigate escalating economic risks.

    Rewane stressed: “We need credible negotiations that consider the broader economic implications.”

  • Wage: Governors won’t pay above N70,000

    Wage: Governors won’t pay above N70,000

    Governors are not considering a minimum wage that is higher than N70,000, it was learnt last night.

    At a meeting yesterday in Abuja, the state helmsmen reviewed the economic situation and concluded that anything above N70,000 will not be affordable and sustainable.

    They ruled out the N100,000 option being dangled by some people.

    Sources at the meeting said the governors, who met under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), considered options between N60,000 offered to Labour by the Federal Government before the strike, and N70,000, which is what the Edo State Government has started paying.

    Having failed to reach a consensus on a uniform amount, a committee headed by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma was set up.

    Uzodimma is the chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) – governors elected on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Yesterday’s position of the governors is in line with a previous statement by Chairman of NGF and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq that states will only agree to a minimum wage that is “affordable and sustainable”.

    A source at the meeting said: “After deliberation on the minimum wage, we decided to consider options between N60,000 and N70,000 a month. We could not reach a concrete decision on the wage rate for states.

    “Eventually, a committee, to be led by Governor Uzodimma, was mandated to look at all presentations and make recommendations.

    “The NGF will soon reconvene to consider the Uzodimma Committee report.”

    The source added: “No state can afford to pay a N100,000 minimum wage and we have ruled out this benchmark.

    “Records available to us indicated that some states are still paying N18,000 because they are unable to afford N30,000 (which came into effect in 2019). Only a state has adopted a N70, 000 wage.”

    No N105,000 proposal, says Presidency

    The Presidency debunked claims that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, submitted a N105,000 new minimum wage proposal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    The President met yesterday with Edun after an audience with an  International Finance Corporation (IFC) team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    It was gathered that Edun submitted the proposal for a new wage for the least-paid Nigerian worker to the  President.

    However, reports published by some online media platforms claimed that the minister proposed  N105,000.

    Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the N105,000 proposal as false.

    “The Honorable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has not proposed  N105,000 minimum wage.

    “The contrary story being disseminated is false”, Onanuga wrote on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle.

    New minimum wage: Edun takes cost implications to Tinubu

    A  fresh wage offer by the Federal Government may be tabled today before the tripartite committee negotiating a new national salary scale.

    The possibility follows a meeting between the President and Finance Minister.

    Read Also: Yoruba group hails Labour, Fed Govt on minimum wage negotiation

    Edun was accompanied to the meeting by Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris and Budget and National Planning Minister Atiku Bagudu.

    Although the Finance Minister merely told reporters after the meeting that there was ‘’no cause for alarm,’’ a source said he presented and discussed the template and the cost implications of the new wage proposal to the President.

    The Finance minister was believed to have outlined the costs of new wage across all levels of government workers and the anticipated fiscal impacts of each option on the national budget.

    “A lot of things are contained in the report or template he presented to the President, especially what a new wage will cost the government at every grade level in relation to our income and budget.

    ‘’A team will scrutinise the report after which the President will direct that it be presented before the tripartite committee on the new minimum wage.

    “And I am sure the presentation before the committee will be done tomorrow (today).

    “You will recall that the President was clear when he gave the instruction on Tuesday,’’ the source added.

    At their meeting eight days ago, the Federal Government and the Organised Private Sector increased their initial offers to N60,000.  Labour rejected it but further cut its initial demand of N615,000 to N494,000.

    The intervention by the Presidency led to the signing of an agreement between the government and labour, part of which is that the government will be committed to paying more than N60,000 as minimum wage.  

    That ended terminated the strike after only one day.

    Like Wednesday, not much was achieved by the tripartite committee yesterday.

    A member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Nation that they were awaiting the template which would have formed the crux of their deliberations.  

    He, however, said the panel broke into sub-committees to deliberate on how to conclude talks on the new wage.

    Yesterday’s meeting was attended by Edun,   Bagudu, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, and Uzodinma.

    Speaking to reporters, Uzodimma expressed optimism that an agreement on minimum wage could be reached to today.

    He said: “I am sure we will reach some concrete agreement when we reconvene tomorrow. That will form what will be presented to the plenary (National Assembly).

    “It is not about the amount. We are taking a holistic approach. Wages should be anchored around our capacity to generate revenue and the sovereignty of the country is important to all of us.

    “It is not about the workers. It is about Nigeria- our nation. We have obligations as citizens to work with the government of the day to ensure that all parties are satisfied.”

  • Wage: Fed Govt, Labour sign pact

    Wage: Fed Govt, Labour sign pact

    • Labour set to call off strike

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has undertaken to pay a minimum wage that is more than N60,000 as the meeting of the Tripartite Committee resumes sittings.

    The committee will meet every day in the next week to reach an agreement on the new minimum wage.

    These are part of the agreement signed last night after an eight-hour meeting between the Federal Government officials and Organised Labour leaders.

    The meeting was called in the aftermath of the indefinite strike called by Labour over the wage crisis.

    Read Also:Minimum wage: Labour Party urges Fed Govt, Labour to return to negotiation table

    Also in the agreement is that Labour leaders will immediately call a meeting with their critical organs and take a decision on the one-day-old strike.

    Labour is expected to call off the strike because the pact it signed precludes the government from victimising any union official who participated in the enforcement of the strike.

    Those who signed the agreement on behalf of the Federal Government are Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris and Minister of State (Labour and Employment) Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.

    For Labour, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero and Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Festus Osifo signed.

  • That workers may breathe Nigeria’s current wage structure is a lie and recipe for unending corruption

    That workers may breathe Nigeria’s current wage structure is a lie and recipe for unending corruption

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last month took a significant step towards increasing the salaries and allowances of judges by passing a bill titled ‘A Bill for an Act to prescribe the salaries, allowances and fringe benefits of judicial office holders in Nigeria and for related matters’, to the National Assembly. If approved, it would see to it that the monthly salary of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) moves up from about N3,363,972.50 annually (or N280,331 monthly) to about N5.3m monthly (yes, you heard me right, those are the figures), and that exclude several other allowances and a severance package of about N80,775,707 to be paid “after successful completion of tenure”. Of course, the salaries of other judges are to follow a similar pattern in the package.

    For instance, other Supreme Court judges are to be earning N4.2million monthly from the extant annual earning of N3,363,972.50 and a motor vehicle loan of N13,455,890 annually. President, Court of Appeal is to earn N4.4million monthly, and so on and so forth.

    That these proposed revolutionary packages are coming from Tinubu is not novel. The judiciary became a pace setter in his time as governor. So, we should commend him for aspiring to replicate such better life for our judges at the national level.

    I would have said those who came up with the miserable pay that our judges are earning up till now are wicked but for the fact that at the time they did, the remuneration might have been reasonably okay. The problem might be with successive administrations that kept our judges in abject poverty. Yet, they are supposed to be the custodians of the courts that should be the last hope of the common man. No wonder many judgments are compromised where they were not purchased outright. And we have the mouths to be complaining that we are  having too many conflicting injunctions from courts of coordinate jurisdiction.

    Chief Gani Fawehinmi in one of his books, ‘The way the law should go’ told a very pathetic story of a judge who left his court after hearing a matter and had to wait by the roadside for taxi. He was

    eventually given a lift by one of the litigants whose case he just heard, in an exotic car that the judge would never be able to own if all he relied on was his monthly stipend called salary. Tell me, it takes some courage for that judge to forget that simple help of saving him from either the scorching sun or threatening rain.

    But this piece is not necessarily about judges’ pay. It is just about the example that the proposed pay package for the judges seems to set. The proposed new minimum wage should follow this same pattern. What is required now is a revolutionary salary structure that would truly reflect economic realities. It is not about saying we raised the minimum wage by 100 per cent or one seemingly laudable percentage. Hundred percent of what? What does that translate to in ‘mudu’ of gari or cups of rice? Let us even leave electronics and other comforts of life. May be those are no longer for the people earning minimum wage. But we should realise that it was not like that in the past. Many Nigerians were proud owners of electronics even as recently as the 1970s. I remember how we used to celebrate whenever we bought ‘sound systems’ in those days with our school certificate salaries. We would be comparing the capacity of the loud speakers because the sound must really be ‘gbam gbam dim dim’ and be shaking the entire building to qualify for proper ‘washing’. If that is no longer feasible, the minimum wage should at least be able to take the workers home and put the least balanced diet on their dining mats.

    The truth is that whatever pay most Nigerians are getting today cannot take them home. It is not enough for many to even feed let alone send children to school. If a man gets even N70,000 per month today, what is that worth? The man is expected to feed his wife, send his children to school, pay his rent, give them money for transport, buy fuel for his ‘I better pass my neighbour’ generator, etc. Obviously, this cannot get anywhere. And we don’t expect them to steal? Only angels would not be tempted, with such peanuts called salaries.

    My point is that Nigerian workers can be better paid. In fact, they should be better paid. Daily, we keep hearing stories of billions being stolen here and there. We are so awash with idle funds that sometimes we do not know these monies had been stolen until several years later.

    Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)

    President Joe Ajaero was at some media houses last week to campaign for support for the new minimum wage. Despite whatever reservations I had about him, (as a matter of fact, I did tell him that he was too calm for my comfort because of the way he comported himself during his visit to this newspaper on Thursday). I saw a different Ajaero, calm and carefully choosing his words during the question and answer session. I indeed asked if he was sure he didn’t rehearse that cool mien over and again before embarking on the media tour.

    If truly Ajaero’s mission is to get the best for Nigerian workers, I support him. I believe in the cause to get reasonable pay for workers.

    Read Also: Adeniji Adele – Falomo Road rehabilitation/restriction begins Monday — FG

    He made some valid points that cannot be dismissed. One, he said while some governors suddenly remember that their states are poor when it comes to paying others or doing some programmes and projects that will benefit the generality of the people, we hardly see any such difference between the governors of the poor and rich states. They all live in affluence. We hardly see any difference in their glittering jeeps. And, lest we forget, just to demonstrate that where there is the will, there will always be a way, some of these governors got money to pay workers’ salary from the Muhammadu Buhari government but diverted the money into other things, where it was not stolen outright. Perhaps this was why Ajaero told ‘The Nation’s’ senior editors who received him on Thursday that the governors can pay if they want to. “But on the issue of whether the states can pay, yes, they can if they get their priorities right,” the NLC president said. He was here talking about the NLC’s N615,000 monthly minimum wage proposal to the Federal Government. Without doubt, when he broke it down into brass tacks, as in having a home of six comprising daddy and mummy and maximum of four children vis-a-vis their needs – feeding, school fees, accommodation,. transportation, and other basics, you can hardly fault the logic behind the proposal.

    But we all know this is not feasible. It is what one of my friends would call a good idea but it is not implementable. So, some jaw-jaw still has to take place.

    One other point that he made has to do with the National Assembly (NASS) members. Hear the NLC leader: “In fact, National Assembly’s wages have almost tripled. If you come to an economy and we are having this argument of affordability, everybody must be disciplined.”

    True, Nigerians are yet to see the expected discipline from this privileged class to convince them that this hardship is affecting everybody, including the people in the NASS. People who are ploughing the best life can offer towards themselves while saying that things are hard and that other Nigerians must make sacrifice. Yet, it took a lot of efforts for Nigerian workers to extract the extant N30,000 minimum wage from them. There is God o!

    The outcome of the coming minimum wage is going to be interesting. NLC has demanded N615,000. It has also said this may increase or reduce depending on other variables. Like if compressed natural gas (CNG) is popularised and transportation cost comes down, or something. But if things turn out edgy, then the political class is to blame. There is nothing to show on their own part that

    things are hard. When Mahatma Gandhi asked Indians to buy India, he himself was going about in sandals made in India. Here we are with legislators who (rather than lead by example as people that are representing ordinary Nigerians and feel the economic crunch), would be pointing accusing fingers at those in the executive branch that they are also living big whereas they (lawmakers) have the powers to tame the executive branch by refusing to approve money for flamboyant lifestyle for the ministers and the others, provided of course that they are ready to live by example too. The problem is that the lawmakers are not ready to go low profile themselves.

    Even in the days of the Obasanjo military government when the country’s currency was very strong, the government compelled public officials to use Peugeot brand of vehicles locally made and that was it! Now that our currency is going through its most difficult moments, those who said we elected them to serve us are rejecting made-in-Nigeria cars. What a bundle of contradiction! We may not be asking them to behave exactly like Gandhi, but we expect them to be more sober than they are and to be more prudent with public funds.

    I don’t have problem with anyone who is calling for sacrifice where necessary, but I can’t understand people who are feeding fat while calling on ordinary folks to tighten their belts. I detest such double standards and absolute contempt for the people.

    I support Labour’s agitation for better pay for workers. What I don’t know is whether all attention should be on them. What of the millions of other Nigerians? They are also feeling the effects of the economic challenges that the country is  currently facing. They need to be provided for too.

    Ultimately, however, as I always say, good governance would always yield better result than incessant increases in workers’ pay.

    All said, the buck on the new minimum wage stops at President Tinubu’s desk. He has promised not to take the patience of Nigerians for granted. He has also promised that he would give workers a living wage. I cannot remember when last Nigerian workers got one. President Tinubu should offer beyond the tokenism that his predecessors offered as minimum wage.

    Minimum wage must be reasonable for workers to be able to tap into some of his government’s credit schemes, whether for personal cars, homes or even health. It is where salaries are sufficient that one can talk of saving for the rainy day. Today, workers are already borrowing in anticipation of the next pay, as early as the middle of the current month.

  • Fed Govt promises living wage as NLC demands N615,000

    Fed Govt promises living wage as NLC demands N615,000

    • ‘Minimum wage payment to be backdated to April’
    • TUC issues ultimatum on electricity tariff hike

    A living wage is coming soon for Nigerian workers, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assured them on May Day.

    He said the issues that prevented the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage from reaching a consensus would soon be resolved.

    Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, said despite the delay, the new minimum wage would take effect from April 1 when approved.

    She admitted that workers deserved a living wage and that the government would ensure they get it.

    But Labour threatened strike should the committee fail to conclude negotiations on a new minimum wage by the end of May.

    This was contained in a joint address delivered by leaders of the two labour centres – Joe Ajaero for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Festus Osifo for the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to workers.

    Ajaero also faulted the pay rise for a cross-section of federal workers under certain consolidated categories announced Tuesday.

    He described between 25 per cent and 35 per cent increase as mischievous given the ongoing talks.

    Across the states where workers engaged in march pasts and aired grievances, governors announced their plans to improve workers’ welfare and listed what they had already done.

    The Federal Government on January 30 inaugurated a 37-man Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage.

    It was tasked with recommending a realistic national minimum wage that aligns with the current economic realities, but an agreement is yet to be reached.

    President Tinubu, a Special Guest of Honour at the May Day Commemoration ceremony at Eagle Square, Abuja, promised better days ahead for the workers.

    Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, he urged Labour to collaborate with his administration in its efforts to achieve growth and development.

    He said: “You would recall that on January 30th, 2024, the Federal Government convened a 37-member Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage.

    “The committee’s mandate was to provide counsel and suggest a national minimum wage that aligns with our current economic conditions.

    “Since then, the committee, in collaboration with labour leaders, has been diligently working towards proposing a new national minimum wage.

    “Unfortunately, despite concerted efforts, the committee was unable to reach a consensus at its last meeting.

    “This shall be resolved soon and I assure you that your days of worrying are over.

    “Indeed, this government is open to the committee’s suggestion of not just a minimum wage but a living wage.

    “Great Nigerian Workers, we cannot achieve a just and equitable society that caters to the needs of every member, including the strong and the weak, without fostering peace and unity.

    “Our shared vision for national growth and development can only be realised in an atmosphere of industrial harmony and peaceful coexistence in every segment of our country.

    “The dividends we have promised the nation, and which you work tirelessly to ensure, can only be achieved when we all unite for progress.

    “So, I call upon each and every one of you, as I have consistently done, to join hands in shaping the destiny of our nation towards greatness.

    “Our allegiance and patriotism are the bedrock upon which our beloved country thrives.”

    President Tinubu stressed that the success of his Administration’s policies and programmes hinges on the willingness of the workers, as the backbone of the workforce, to embrace them wholeheartedly.

    “I appeal to you to continue using the power of the labour movement for the greater good of our nation, fostering harmony and cooperation,” the President said at the Eagle Square venue of the event.

    In a further statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu congratulated workers on their dedication and tireless efforts towards the nation’s progress and development.

    He acknowledged the contributions of workers across various sectors, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to improving their welfare while citing various relief programmes, including the wage award and the imminent minimum wage review, it initiated.

    “President Tinubu strongly believes that the custodians of the nation’s machinery deserve a fair wage and enhanced welfare and that a labourer is deserving of not just any reward but fair and commensurate wages.

    “The President assures Nigerian workers of his dedication to not only improving their welfare but also enhancing their working conditions and providing the necessary tools for them to succeed.

    Labour decries delays over new wage

    Labour, in the joint address by Ajaero and Osifo, set May ending as the deadline for the conclusion of talks on the new wage.

    They said: “At this point comrades, we want to inform you that the process of fixing a new national minimum wage is continuing.

    “All the parties in the Tripartite process are well represented and the engagement has been robust.

    “We have placed our demand of N615,000 only before our social partners while we await their offer.

    “Remember that earlier in the year, we sent questionnaires to all of you across the nation with which we sought to measure the actual cost of living for an average family of six.

    “Your response to that questionnaire which you also administered across the 776 LGAs assisted us in arriving at the figure with minor adjustments…

    “However, it is important that we urge every worker around the nation to remain vigilant as this process winds to an end.

    “We must not let our guards down but be alert so that together, we can assist the government make the right decision and pay workers a living wage as promised by our President, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his inaugural speech.

    “We will not allow other interests to sabotage the desire of the president concerning a Living wage for workers.

    “If, however, the negotiation of the National Minimum wage is not concluded by the end of May, the Trade Union Movement in Nigeria will no longer guarantee industrial peace in the country.”

    Osifo added: “If by the end of the month, nothing is done, we are going to push.

    Read Also: Sanwo-Olu, Abiru make case for road dualisation

    “You know we have several tools that can be used to compel them to do what is needed.

    “We encourage the Vice President to compel the committee to meet as early as tomorrow (today) to conclude this work.”

    The labour leaders regretted that after over a decade of privatisation of the power sector, the electricity situation has not improved.

    They said the government needed to establish frameworks that would ensure energy works for all Nigerians.

    “The reasons are glaringly evident. As long as those who sold the companies remain the buyers, Nigerians will continue to face formidable challenges in the power sector.

    “It is unethical to force Nigerians to pay higher tariffs for non-existent electricity. Estimated billing is an extortion and daylight robbery against Nigerians,” they said.

    The Labour centres also raised concerns about the resurgence queues at filling stations, wondering why local refining of petrol is yet to begin.

    They said: “We will continue in our efforts to get the federal government to ensure that the refineries work.

    “The promised Port Harcourt refinery remains idle, while the Dangote and WalterSmith refineries, though operational, have failed to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians.

    “We cannot abandon the other refineries in Warri and Kaduna but should ensure that they start working.

    “It appears there is a deliberate effort to sabotage our domestic refineries to perpetuate their non-operation, enabling a select few to profit from the unethical importation of refined petroleum products at the expense of the economy.”

    Ajaero: pay rise mischievous

    Ajaero, who appeared on a television programme, faulted the announcement by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC).

    “The announcement appears mischievous because there is no wage increment that the government is announcing,” he said.

    According to him, the last minimum wage of N30,000 expired on April 18.

    “We should be in the regime of new minimum wage as of today. Discussions were supposed to have been concluded.

    “The Federal Government through the National Assembly legislated on it.

    “But we saw that the discussion entered voice mail because the Federal Government refused to reconvene the meeting that was adjourned.

    “I think the announcement now appears mischievous because there is no wage increase that the government is announcing.

    “For them to announce it now, it is an issue that we are worried about at the NLC and even at the TUC,” Ajaero said.

    Ajaero explained how Labour arrived at N615,000 as the living wage for civil servants.

    He said: “Living wage is such that will at least keep you alive. It is not a wage that will make you poorer and poorer. It is not a wage that will make you borrow to go to work.

    “It is not a wage that will lead you to be in the hospital every day because of malnutrition. For that living wage, we have tried to look at N615,000.

    “Let me give you a breakdown of how we arrived at that figure. We have housing and accommodation of N40,000.

    “We asked for electricity of N20,000 — of course, that was before the current tariff increase. Nobody can spend this amount currently.

    “We have utility that is about N10,000. We looked at kerosene and gas, which are about N25,000 to N35,000.

    “We looked at food for a family of six, that is about N9,000 in a day. For 30 days, that is about N270,000. Look at medical, N50,000, provided there will be no surgery or whatever.

    “For clothing, we looked at N20,000. For education, N50,000. I don’t know for those who tried to put their children in private school, they will not be able to cope with this amount. We also have sanitation of N10,000.

    “I think where we have another bulk of the money is transportation. This is because the workers stay on the fringes and because of the cost of PMS, that amounted to N110,000.

    “That brought the whole living wage to N615,000 and I want anyone to subject this to further investigation and find out whether there will be any savings when you pay somebody on this rate.”

    TUC: N615,000 won’t cause inflation

    Osifo does not think increasing the minimum wage from N30,000 to N615,000 would worsen inflation.

    “From May 2023 to date, revenue from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) to the state governments has tripled,” Osifo said on a TV programme.

    “This means the state governments have more money to build roads, schools and for other things.

    “The most critical aspect of production is labour. It is for you to take part of the money and pay workers.

    “That won’t increase inflation because the money will be spent anyway; if you don’t give it to workers, it will be spent on other projects.

    “Giving workers what is due to them won’t necessarily worsen inflation.”

    Osifo argued that the proposed N615,000 is designed to deal with current socio-economic realities.

    Onyejeocha: issues to be resolved soon

    Onyejeocha said the pending issues over a new wage would soon be resolved.

    The minister said: “Although the committee could not reach a consensus at its last meeting before the April deadline, we want to reassure Nigerian workers that we are working diligently around the clock with organised labour to conclude negotiations and ensure a successful outcome.

    “Our commitment is unwavering: the Nigerian workers should rest assured that despite the short delay, the new minimum wage will take effect on April 1, 2024.

    “Moreover, this government is receptive to the committee’s suggestion of transitioning beyond a mere minimum wage to a living wage that truly reflects the value of workers’ contributions.

    “I urge all stakeholders to embrace a spirit of cooperation, understanding, and patriotism, coupled with diligence and increased productivity.

    “By working together, we can lift our nation out of poverty and usher in an era of prosperity for workers and citizens alike.

    “Rest assured that this government empathises with the struggles of workers and citizens and will not falter in its commitment to their well-being.”

    Akpabio, Abbas: workers have lawmakers’ backing

     Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the National Assembly and the Executive would work collaboratively to give workers a living wage and better working conditions.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, Akpabio congratulated the workers as they commemorate May Day.

    He said: “A Nigerian worker is noted for his patriotism, hard work, resilience, and dedication to duty.

    “I am happy to be associated with the Nigerian worker in the last 25 years and I can attest to the fact that everywhere you go, the Nigerian worker’s spirit resonates profoundly.”

    House of Representatives Speaker Abbas Tajudeen hailed workers for their immense contributions to the country’s growth and development.

    He said Labour remains a critical stakeholder in nation-building, adding that the contributions of workers in the public and private sectors are immeasurable.

    Mrs Tinubu greets workers

    First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, hailed the immense contributions of the nation’s workforce, saluting teachers, farmers, doctors, nurses, engineers, and others who dedicate their skills and energy to building a better Nigeria.

    She urged them to strive for excellence and productivity and to reflect on how they can be better.

    “Let us not only celebrate work but also reflect on how we can be a better and more productive workforce.

    “I celebrate the spirit of work with pride. May it continue to be a source of strength, prosperity, and national progress for Nigeria,” she said in a statement.

    She added: “We must strive for excellence in all we do, and work together to build a Nigeria that we can all be proud of.

    “Let us continue to be a source of strength and prosperity for our nation.”

  • 10 states paying wage award to workers

    10 states paying wage award to workers

    • Ogun gives students, pupils, N50,000, N10,000

    Not less than ten states are paying wage award to their workers, findings by The Nation have shown.

    Lagos, Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, Enugu, Ebonyi, Adamawa and Jigawa are part of the 15 states surveyed by our correspondents yesterday.

    Niger State yesterday approved payment of N20,000 each to its workers.

    Following the withdrawal of petrol subsidy and the attendant pains, the Federal Government among other cushioning policies, began payment of N35,000 wage award to its workers. It has paid for five months.

    On Monday, the President admonished governors, who had yet to pay the wage award to start, pending the conclusion of work by the Tripartite Committee on New Minimum Wage.

    He made the appeal while inaugurating agricultural programmes initiated by Governor Umaru Bago in Minna, Niger State.

    Since the removal of petrol subsidy, federal revenue has grown significantly. Last month, all the federating units shared over N1trillion.

    Bago announced yesterday that workers in his state would from this month get N20,000 as wage award.

    His Ogun counterpart, Dapo Abiodun, whose administration has been paying N10,000 monthly award to civil servants, added primary and secondary school pupils to the list.

    About 100,000 indigent pupils are to receive N10,000 each from the government.

    Payment of N50,000 to 20,000 students who are indigenes of the state in tertiary institutions will be completed this week.

    Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, who announced the plan in Abeokuta, said it was one of the strategies by Governor Abiodun to provide succour to parents in the face of biting economic challenges.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Tinubu directs states to implement wage award

    He said: “Given the economic realities in the country, the governor decided to provide succour to the people of the state using a multiplicity of approaches to achieve this.

    “He believes that a strategy never used by any government is the health and education sectors. Through the education sector, you can truly reach out to those who need the palliative.

    “We have over 2, 000 primary and secondary schools in all the four divisions of the state, and 100,000 learners in these schools would receive N10,00 each.

    “As we meet and give the parents the governor’s message, they are receiving the alert for payment.

    “The governor’s gesture is to support the parents in meeting their children’s needs.

    “In the tertiary level, we are giving out N50,000 to each student. We have captured 50,000 students from all the tertiary institutions whose details have been submitted to us after we wrote to their vice-chancellors, rectors and provosts.

    “We are paying directly to the students to ensure that the money get to them.

    “We started payment last week, and we have paid over 10,000 students, and before the end of this week, we will have paid 20,000.”

    Lagos and Ondo states pay the highest wage award of N35,000 to their workers while Oyo and Enugu are second with N25,000.

    Ekiti and Osun pay N15,000 while Jigawa, Adamawa and Ebonyi pay N10,000.

    Some of the states have also extended the payment to local government employees and pensioners.

  • Ondo varsity workers disrupt convocation, demand N35,000 wage award

    Ondo varsity workers disrupt convocation, demand N35,000 wage award

    Staff of the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State disrupted convocation ceremony with a protest demanding N35,000 wage award being paid to civil servants since November last year.

    The protesters under the auspices of the Joint Action Committee of all Tertiary Institutions had been on an indefinite strike action since last week over the issue.

    They carried placards of various inscriptions such as, ‘All we are saying, pay us wage award,’ ‘ We deserve N35,000 wage award, pay us,’ ‘ Wage award is our right don’t deny us ,’ ‘ We patronise the same market, pay us N35,000 wage award,’ among others.

    Chairman of JAC, Comrade Dayo Temola, said the State Government ignored their demand for the payment of the wage award and some other allowances.

    According to him: “Our joint demand is that they should pay us our N35, 000 wage award that had been paid to all categories of workers in the state.

    “We are also demanding implementation of 2019 minimum wage. We are in 2024, yet we have not gotten 2019 minimum wage.

    “It is shameful and we patronise the same market with other workers who have been receiving .

    “Everybody knows what is currently going on in the country even our current salaries can’t take us to the office again for a month.

    ” We also demand that the monthly subvention of the school should be increased by 100 percent.

    “The government promised us N91million on paper and has been giving us N63milliion. It is far low to the wage bills of the university as we speak the university is owning billions of naira from cooperatives and some other allowances. That is our agitation.”

    Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa who was at the institution for the convocation ceremony appealed to the angry workers and scheduled a meeting with the union leaders of the university on Tuesday.

    Aiyedatiwa promised to give consideration to the the institution’s monthly subvention of N91m to enhance operations of the school.

    Read Also: We are focused on building legacy projects in Niger Delta, says Ogbuku

    He said his administration would release N1.2bn in the 2024 budget for speedy completion of abandoned projects in the school.

    Several abandoned projects littered the institution that it was tagged “University of abandoned project”.

    Aiyedatiwa also promised to facilitate completion of the abandoned hostel buildings being funded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) without further delay.

    Aiyedatiwa further announced automatic employment to the best graduating student, Adedayo Taiwo Janet.

  • Fed Govt to resume payment of N35, 000 wage award to public workers

    Fed Govt to resume payment of N35, 000 wage award to public workers

    The Federal Government has pledged to resume the payment of N35, 000 wage award to public service workers this week.

    The government gave the assurance through the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha at a meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress on Tuesday in Abuja.

    In a statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations of the ministry of labour and employment, Olajide Oshundun, Onyejeocha appealed to the labour organisations to withdraw their 14-day ultimatum as the government had stepped up efforts to complete the implementation of that agreement.

    The two labour centres had accused the government of failing to implement the 16-point agreement reached with them on 2nd October, 2023 and subsequently gave a 14 day ultimatum on February 8 which has entered its 6th day.

    The Minister convened the meeting to brief the Labour centres on the progress of the implementation of the agreement, and to reaffirm government’s commitment to the agreement.

    She said: “It is true we entered into an agreement, but the government has shown good faith, and considering the urgency of the issue at hand, I called this meeting because dialogue has always been the best way out, and we are all for the well-being of our people. I am here to show good cause on why some agreement has not been met.’’

    On the CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) buses, programme director and chief executive of the Presidential CNG initiative, Michael Oluwagbemi, who addressed the meeting virtually, stated that the government had made 70% payment for the procurement of new CNG buses and CNG kits. He said while some of the buses are ready, they expect to start assembling others locally including the tricycles between March and April 2024.  

    The meeting agreed on an immediate joint inspection visit to the Port Harcourt Refinery for labour to confirm the reported progress made in getting the refinery back to operation.

    Onyejeocha noted that while the reaction of the labour organisations was not unwarranted in the face of government’s non-completion of the agreement, but bearing in mind that some items in the agreement could only be achieved in stages, she hoped that the discussion would lead to the rescinding of the ultimatum by labour.

    She assured them of the President’s sincerity of purpose and unflinching dedication to the implementation of that agreement, adding that she would leave no stone unturned to satisfy the demands of the labour organisations.

    Read Also: AFCON: I’m sad I wasn’t able to bring the cup back to Nigeria – Peseiro

    The minister promised that the government would keep working towards the complete implementation of the agreement, and requested the labour centres to withdraw their ultimatum.

    “I plead with you to sheath your sword. We have been showing good faith; it is just that it is not commensurate with your expectations; but I promise you that we will surpass your expectation this time, and I believe that everything will go well,” she said.

    President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, enjoined the Federal Government to be committed to beating the deadline of the 14-day ultimatum, which started on 9th February 2024, by ensuring the implementation of that agreement.

    Ajaero declared their resolve to stand by their ultimatum, and stated that every party to the agreement should endeavour to live up to expectation for the interest of Nigerians and the government.

    He stated that organised labour would always fulfill its part of the bargain, so long as the federal government would do the same.

    The First Deputy President of TUC, Tommy Okon, also echoed Ajeoro’s concerns, and criticised the government’s gradual approach to the implementation of the signed agreement.

    He said: “We have a lot of respect for you, Minister, that’s why we are here. We don’t need to beg the government to do what is right. Let me tell you, we, the organized labour, are the ones managing the crisis in this country for the government; if not, we wouldn’t be here today discussing these issues.”

  • Wage award to federal pensioners

    Wage award to federal pensioners

    • By Adelani Olawuyi

    Sir: To say this is not the best of time for Nigerians is to state the obvious. The removal of fuel subsidy has worsened the situation of the masses to such a level that people can hardly eat twice in a day. Moving from one place to another has become near impossible. Children of school ages are found roaming the street. Those in tertiary institutions face hike in school fees. In short, the situation is precarious.

    The government has promised so many palliatives to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal. One of these is the wage awards to both serving and retired federal civil servants. However, about five months after the agreement with labour, report has it that serving federal workers only got one month wage award of N35,000 each while the retired workers have not got any.

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    We must state that the retired workers need these palliatives albeit more than anyone else because they have served their fatherland meritoriously; yes, a brave dog deserves a fat bone.

    To this end, we implore the federal government to pay the retired workers their own wage award of N25,000 a month . Again, theirs should also be extended to six months instead of three months as promised. What is good for the goose is equally good for the gander.

    We would not know what is causing the delay in payment of the wage awards; after all, the data of these people are with the government. Or has it ended in private account(s)?

    •Adelani Olawuyi,

    Obada/Odooba, Ogo-Oluwa LGA, Oyo State.