Minimum Wage: Mixed Reactions Trail Non-payment By Some States

Concerned that 22 state governments have hitherto stylishly avoided payment of N70,000, signed into law since Monday 29 July 2024, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

And as most Labour leaders have continued to exhibit mixed feelings over what step to take against the refusal of some governments to implement the wage, LEADERSHIP decided to look into the delay or outright refusal to pay.

Though labour leaders have consistently vowed to ground governance of those state governments that refused to honour the payment amidst rising cost of living which is making nonsense of the N70,000 on daily basis, yet they are not sure of which best step to take.

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Joe Ajaero has warned against what could lead to industrial disharmony.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP, Ajaero reiterated “The current minimum wage of N70,000 is losing value on daily basis, and may soon not even buy tissue paper.”

In separate chats with LEADERSHIP, President of National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), Comrade Garba Ibrahim said, state governments have no excuse for delaying the implementation of the wage.

“There is no any state that is not rich enough to pay the minimum wage, it is deliberate attempt to impoverish the state workers.

“The implication is very dangerous as it is threat to industrial relationship and also abuse and disregard to workers’ right according to international labour conventions,” said Ibrahim.

However Ibrahim expressed mixed feeling over enforcing the payment as some state government may have no financial muscles to sustain the payment.

On his part, the the General Secretary, Joint Action Front (JAF) Comrade Abiodun Aremu, said
“As welfare is one of the constitution responsibilities of state governments, they have no moral justification to shy away from payment of N70,000.

According to Abiodun, “It is bad that some state governors see their governorship as opportunity to share looted funds than offering of good governance.

And on his part, a civil society policy advocacy activist, Comrade Tunde Salman said as a Nigerian, I will urge the state governments to implement the wage with an increase in average monthly FAAC allocations that go to the states.”

Salman charge state governments to start implementation of N70, 000 Minimum Wage to prune the effects of hardship in the land.