Unless state governors review their current delay tactics in the payment of the N70,000 new minimum wage, industrial crisis may soon erupt at the second-tier of government.
After the conclusion of negotiations with their workers and agreements signed, most of the governors are yet to pay the national wage which President Bola Tinubu signed into law on July 29, 2024.
To the dismay of the workers, some of the governors, who even announced figures above the minimum wage, are yet to pay their workers.
While some have deferred the payment to early next year, saying their wage bills had been computed into the 2025 appropriation bills, those who agreed to begin payment last October, shifted it to November, which ended yesterday.
There is also selective payment of the new wage. While some governors pay their state civil servants the new wage, their local government counterparts are placed on the old minimum wage of N30,000 or below.
The national secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had earlier given the governors today as the deadline and directed workers in the affected states to embark on a strike from December 1, but on Thursday, the union’s president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said it would decide on the next steps after the expiration of the ultimatum.
As the commencement of the planned strike hangs in the balance, the Katsina State government has said through the deputy governor, Faruq Lawal Jobe, said “the new minimum wage is captured in the budget.” However, he did not provide details on when the government would begin its implementation.
Meanwhile, the state chapter of the NLC has expressed its readiness to join the nationwide strike, especially after the expiration of the 21-day deadline given to the committee set up by the state government to address the issue.
The union’s chairman, Comrade Hussain Hamisu, expressed concerns on the delay in negotiations with the state government, particularly regarding the payment of arrears of the new minimum wage.
In Gombe State, the implementation of the new N70,000 national minimum wage for its workers has taken off but the local government workers are left in the lurch.
The state commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Muhammad Gambo Magaji, said the state government started paying the new minimum wage in October.
“We started in October for the state, which is fully implemented, while the local government areas (LGAs) are partially implementing it at 30 percent for now. The state is paying N71,451 as the minimum wage,” Magaji explained.
Some workers who spoke with LEADERSHIP Sunday confirmed receiving a significant increment in their October salaries with local government staff claiming that N31,000 minimum wage was paid to them in their October salaries.
The state NLC chairman, Yusuf Bello, declined to answer phone calls, text and WhatsApp messages sent to him by our correspondent on the subject matter as at the time of filing this report.
Though the Zamfara State government has reiterated its readiness to pay the new minimum wage after working out all the modalities by the end of November, the state chapter of NLC has insisted on joining the parent body’s proposed strike if the state government refused to implement the new minimum wage by December.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP Sunday, the state Head of Service, Barr Ahmed Liman, said the N70,000 national minimum wage would be implemented after proper framework.
He said the delay in the implementation of the minimum wage was caused by the verification exercise, adding that the state government had no proper salary scale for now and the workers had to be verified to ascertain the number of workers in its payroll.
The state chairman of NLC, Comrade Sani Halliru, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that the union at its meeting held recently at the state secretariat, unanimously resolved to confront the state government and demand the immediate implementation of the minimum wage of N70,000.
In Ogun State, the Prince Dapo Abiodun administration has commenced the implementation of the minimum wage of N77,000 earlier approved by the state’s Joint Negotiating Council of the NLC since October 2024 with a consequential adjustment across board.
The state’s commissioner for Finance, Mr Dapo Okubadejo, stated this during an interaction with LEADERSHIP Sunday in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Okubadejo, who is also the chief economic adviser to the governor, said the state did not only implement payment of the new minimum wage, but also effected a consequential adjustment for all categories of workers in the state, which included the retirees.
But investigation indicated that all categories of civil servants in the state received the sum of N42,000 across board for October, while the November salary was yet to be paid as at the time of this report.
The Osun State government on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the implementation of N75,000 as minimum wage for its workers.
Governor Ademola Adeleke who was represented by his deputy, Prince Kola Adewusi, at the event disclosed that the effective date is December 1, 2024.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP Sunday, the NLC chairman in Osun, Comrade Christopher Arapasopo, who expressed his gratitude to the state government, said Osun workers would not join the proposed nationwide strike.
Last week, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang approved the immediate implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage for workers in the state.
The development was sequel to the signing of the agreement of the committee on the consequential adjustment of salaries on November 13, 2024.
A statement signed by the Head of Service, Stephen Gadong, said the implementation was a demonstration of the government’s commitment to the wellbeing of the workforce in the acknowledgement of their invaluable role in driving the state development.
In Ondo State, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has disclosed that the implementation of the N73,000 minimum wage by his administration would start this month.
Speaking at the 2024 Public Service Week celebration, Aiyedatiwa said the welfare of civil servants would continue to be a priority for his administration.
The governor added that the new minimum wage was a settled matter and a testament to his administration’s focus on improving the quality of life for the state’s workforce.
Aiyedatiwa said, “A committee was set up to work out the implementation structure of the minimum wage, and now that it has just been concluded; I will give the necessary approval for the payment of N73,000 to begin.”
Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, has indicated his willingness to ensure the prompt implementation of the new national minimum wage of N70,000.
The decision, according to the governor, followed the comprehensive deliberations the government had with the state chapter of the NLC.
According to him, the implementation would commence in November 2024.
In Akwa Ibom State, the state government has agreed to pay the about 53,000 workforce the new minimum wage package of N80,000, but the governor has persuaded the workers to wait until the first quarter of 2025.
The governor said the delay was to enable his administration weed out hundreds of ghost workers still enjoying salaries.
When asked to explain what the Governor Bassey Otu administration would do to avert the looming strike, his chief press secretary, Mr Nsa Gill, said, “I can’t really say anything at the moment as the government is still on the negotiating table with labour leaders on how to find a way forward.
However, the special adviser to the governor on labour matters, Mr Clarkson Otu, said he was at a meeting with labour leaders to find out how to resolve the N70,000 new minimum wage saga.
In Enugu State, the chairman of NLC, Fabian Nwaigbo, said they were still negotiating.
He stated that the last directive that the NLC NEC gave to them was that if the minimum wage was not paid in November salary, they should proceed on strike from December 1.
He, however, stated that some states that have implemented the new minimum wage did not pay the real amount.
