All 36 governors in country have been summoned to an emergency meeting to discuss the new minimum wage and possibly take a common position.
The meeting holds today, October 30, in Abuja.
A statement issued by the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, secretariat in Abuja, on Monday, obtained by The Next Edition, said that all governors must attend in person.
“Emergency meeting of governors over minimum wage will hold tomorrow at the NGF secretariat, Maitama, Abuja at 5pm.
“In attendance will be all governors, no representation. Various stakeholders including the Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, and the Minister of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige.”
In a related development, members of the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo-led Economic Management Team will meet with state governors also today, October 30, in a bid to reach an agreement on the new national minimum wage. A similar meeting had held on Monday, but could not reach a consensus.
Labour and Employment, Minister, Chris Ngige, made this known while addressing State House correspondents at the end of Monday’s meeting
The minister said, “We held a meeting for us to bring out modalities for us to respond to the emerging problems thrown up by the National Minimum wage Committee and we have very fruitful meeting which necessitated the governors having further meeting tomorrow (Tuesday).
“We will reconvene tomorrow (Tuesday) to brief the Economic Management Team and the Vice-President and we take it up from there.
“The governors will meet to take a position and brief the Economic Management Team. This meeting is only for the Tripartite Committee of the government side.”
It would be recalled that the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress and the United Labour Congress had last week threatened to go on strike on November 6, 2018 if the Federal Government failed to take the plight of Nigerian workers more seriously.
The unions had declared that failure by the governors and the Federal Government, to consent to the upward review of the national minimum wage, would leave them no option but to go on strike.
READ ALSO: Ochanya: NHRC condemns act, receives preliminary report
While calling on workers to vote out those who had failed to protect their interests, the union leaders in a statement signed by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba; the TUC President, Bobboi Kaigama; and ULC President, Joe Ajaero, lampooned the Federal Government for its decision to implement a ‘no work, no pay’ policy.
Speaking on Monday with journalists, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari said while they were willing to pay the new minimum wage, ability to pay was paramount in arriving at a figure.
“The position of the governors is not very clear to some of you. We are willing to pay any amount but the issue is the capacity to pay,” he said, adding that the governors are yet to settle for a figure.
He said: “So, by tomorrow (Tuesday), we are going to discuss with our governors on the bill by the Minister of Labour and Employment to the NGF secretariat.
“We will digest it and come up with our own positions as governors because we are critical stakeholders on this issue.”
