Hope has risen for workers expecting a new minimum wage beginning this year.
This follows the constitution of the 37-member Tripartite Committee to negotiate and agree on the new minimum wage.
The current minimum wage of N30,000 went into effect five years ago.
The panel members will be inaugurated tomorrow at Aso Villa, according to a government statement.
To chair the panel is the former Head of Service of the Federation (HoCSF) Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji.
Others on the panel are drawn from the Federal Government, the state governments, the labour unions and the private sector.
A statement by Segun Imohioson, from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, gave the names of panel members as: “From the Federal Government, the members include, Minister of Labour & Employment (State), Mrs. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Budget & Economic Planning, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu; HoCSF Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan; the Permanent Secretary GSO OSGF, Dr. Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri and National Salaries, Income Wages and Commission (NSIWC) Chairman/CEO, Ekpo Nta”, Ekpo will serve as the panel secretary.
Representing the states are governors Mohammed Umar Bago (Niger, Northcentral), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi, Northeast), Umar Dikko Radda (Katsina, Northwest), Prof. Charles Soludo (Anambra, Southeast), Ademola Adeleke (Osun, Southwest) and Bassey Otu (Cross Rivers, Southsouth).
The OPS has the following as representatives from the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) – Director-General Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, Mr. Chuma Nwankwo, Mr. Thompson Akpabio, the Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) – National President, Asiwaju Michael Olawale-Cole; National Vice President, Dr. Ahmed Rabiu and Chief Humphrey Ngonadi (NPOM), National Life President.
The statement reads: “The membership from the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME) are: Dr. Abdulrashid Yerima, President & Chairman of Council; Theophilus Nnorom Okwuchukwu, private sector representative; Dr. Muhammed Nura Bello, Zonal Vice President, Northwest.
“From the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) are: Mrs Grace Omo-Lamai, Human Resource Director, Nigerian Breweries; Segun Ajayi-Kadir, mni, Director-General, MAN; Lady Ada Chukwudozie, Managing Director, Dozzy Oil and Gas Limited.
“From the organised Labour – the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Joe Ajaero (President); Emmanuel Ugboaja; Prince Adeyanju Adewale; Ambali Akeem Olatunji; Benjamin Anthony and Prof. Theophilus Ndukuba.
“The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has Festus Osifo (President); Tommy Etim Okon (Deputy President I); Kayode Surajudeen Alakija (Deputy President II).”
Federal workers have been given a N35,000 monthly wage award to cushion the effect of petrol subsidy removal.
Many state governments have given between N10,000 and N35,000 as wage awards.
A major challenge that the panel of new minimum wage will face is the failure of some state governments to pay the extant N30,000 minimum wage.
An analyst said last night: “How can a state that has yet to pay more than N18,000 since 2018 be able to pay an amount to be added to the existing N30,000 for most junior workers?”
However, a Labour official said last night that with increased Federation Account Allocation which is now above N1trillion monthly, no state can claim inability to pay the new minimum wage.
THE NATION
