The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, says that President Muhammadu Buhari did not specify a separate minimum wage for federal workers in the minimum wage bill transmitted to the federal parliament on Wednesday evening.
The Tripartite committee that negotiated the bill had agreed on a flat amount of N30, 000 as minimum wage.
However, the National Council of State endorsed N27, 000.
READ ALSO: Gunmen abduct APC’s Edo House of Assembly Candidate
Senator Ekweremadu’s explanations came on Thursday as he inaugurated a panel to look into the issue as well as the exemption of workers in smaller establishments with less than 25 staff.
He also asked members of the ad-hoc committee to critically look into the concerns of some state governments about their capability to pay the N27, 000 minimum wage.
Recall that during the negotiations, the governors had proposed N22, 500 as what they can pay without downsizing.
Ekweremadu subsequently named the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, as the chairman of an eight-member ad-hoc committee mandated to work on the bill and make their report available within two weeks. Other members of the panel are, Senator Abu Ibrahim, who will represent the Senate committee on labour; Senator Shehu Sani, representing the North-West and Senator Sam Egwu, representing the South-East. The rest are, Senators Suleiman Adokwe (North-Central); Francis Alimikhena (South-South); Solomon Adeola (South-West); and Binta Garba.
