…Says Report Linking It With Proposing N105,000 False
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The controversy and suspense trailing a new national minimum wage for workers continued on Thursday, as the Federal Government representatives in the Tripartite Committee failed to present any additional figures as previously agreed.
The latest development comes despite several hours the tripartite committee met in Abuja to unveil an additional figure topping up the N60,000 the government previously offered the organised labour.
Recall that a nationwide strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) had grounded economic and social activities across the nation, including shutting down of the national power grid throwing the country in total darkness.
The development had prompted a marathon meeting between the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume and other government functionaries in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet who did everything possible to extract a commitment to top up the N60,000 the government had proposed.
It also prompted the organised labour to suspend the strike with an assurance that government was ready to give more.
But on Thursday when the meeting kicked off about 5p.m at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, stakeholders were expectant that the Federal Government must have consulted and would present an offer above the initial N60,000.
Sources, however, said the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, had presented figures or the cost implications to President Bola Tinubu as he earlier directed.
Our source privy to the meeting further revealed that the government team requested that there were things they had wanted to discuss hence a technical committee was set up for that matter.
According to the source, “The government team did not present any new offer. They requested that there were things to discuss and a technical committee was set up.
“I suspect that maybe the president is still going through the figures presented to him by the Minister of Finance. Maybe, the president may present his decision to the minister before our meeting tomorrow (today).”
Recall also that the struggle for a new minimum wage dates back to May 29, 2023, when President Tinubu assumed office as president and exited the country from payment of petrol subsidy.
The development took its toll on Nigerians, especially workers who began agitating for palliatives and subsequently began a campaign for wage increment to cushion the impact of high inflation.
At the 2024 May Day celebration, labour had insisted that N615,000 was ideal for a national minimum wage for the least paid worker but had to down grade its demand to N500,000, then N497,000, before finally capping it at N494,000.
The government team had to also shift grounds from an initial offer of N48,000 to N54,000, then N57,000 before settling for N60,000 when negotiations broke down to pave way for an industrial action.
While Thursday’s meeting held behind closed doors, the media space was awash with speculation that the government side had offered to pay N105,000 to which the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun and Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, quickly debunked.
