The Federal Government in Abuja is inaugurating a committee on the implementation of the N30,000 new national minimum wage, Chris Ngige, minister of Labour and Employment, says.
The move by the government has raised fresh concerns among organised labour, who believes the N30,000 minimum wage as has gone beyond constituting another committee, as all that’s required having been signed into law, is for the government to issue a circular for implementation.
Ngige, while fielding questions on a national television monitored in Lagos, said there are procedures, of which the committee is one.
According to the minister, there will be a committee made of seven federal ministers with the Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, as chairman.
Ngige said there are still processes and procedures to scale before the commencement of the implementation of the new wage, even though it has been passed by the National Assembly, and signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Those at the lowest cadre of employment whether in the public or private sector will earn N30,000. That’s the law,” Ngige said.
However, for the cadre of workers already earning above the minimum wage, the minister said there will be consequential adjustments from from the top, adding that the relevant agency of the government will soon issue a circular on this expected adjustments.
Meanwhile, Ayuba Wabba, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed worry about the delay in the commencement of implementation of the new wage, more than one after it was signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
JOSHUA BASSEY
