The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) say they are willing to pay of N22,500 as new national minimum wage.
Rising from their emergency meeting in Abuja, on Tuesday, the governors said their decision as borne out of concern for the welfare of all Nigerians especially with “the deteriorating economic situation experienced by the vulnerable segment of our population.”
Chairman of the NGF and Governor of Zamfara State, Abdul’aziz Yari while briefing newsmen at the end of the meeting, disclosed that the decision was arrived at after a briefing from the forum’s representatives at the Tripartite Committee.
He noted that “the welfare of all Nigerians is the ultimate concern of the governors,” adding that “in all our states, we are concerned about the deteriorating economic situation experienced by the vulnerable segment of our population.”
Yari, pointed out that in agreeing to a new national minimum wage, “the Forum was even more concerned about development, particularly in the health, education and infrastructure spheres.
“It is therefore our considered position that since the percentage of salaried workers is not more than five per cent of the total working population, our position must not just reflect a figure, but also a sustainable strategy based on ability and capacity to pay, as well as reflective of all our developmental needs in each State.
“After all, Section 3 of the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission Act provides that “the Commission shall recommend a proposition of income growth which should be initiated for wage increase and also examine the salary structure in public and private sector with reasonable features of relativity and maximum levels which are in consonance with the national economy.”
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“It is in this sense that we feel strongly that our acceptable minimum wage must be done in such a way that total personnel cost does not exceed 50 per cent of the revenue available to each State.
“Governors therefore agreed to pay a national minimum wage of N22, 500.”
Meanwhile the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress has said that it will address the press on Wednesday, October 31, to respond to the offer by state governors to pay a new minimum wage of N22, 500.
This was contained in a letter inviting the media to the briefing.
The organised labour had threatened to embark on a nationwide strike from November 6, if the issue of minimum wage was not conclusively addressed by then.
Labour, is pitching for N30, 000 as new minimum wage..
Present at the meeting with the governors were the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr Chris Ngige and the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma.
Some of the governors at the emergency meeting were Kebbi, Ebonyi, Imo, Lagos, Plateau, Osun, Ekiti, Ogun, and Nasarawa represented by Deputy, Adamawa.
