President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced that the Federal Government plans to approve a new minimum wage that aligns with Nigeria’s current economic capacity.
He made this announcement on Wednesday night during a dinner in Abuja, celebrating Nigeria’s Democracy Day.
Tinubu expressed gratitude to his long-time supporters and assured Nigerians that he will remain committed to the principles of democratic governance.
The president said; “I have to celebrate with you my dear brother, Senate President, Deputy Senate President. The minimum wage is going to be what Nigerians can afford, what you can afford and what I can afford. Cut your coat according to your size, if you have size at all.”
Furthermore, he vowed to reduce food prices by addressing the banditry that has driven many farmers from their land.
Meanwhile, Tontrends recalls that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) recently refuted President Tinubu’s claim that the federal government and labor unions had agreed on a new minimum wage.
In his Democracy Day speech on Wednesday, June 12, Tinubu announced plans to soon send an executive bill to the National Assembly to formalize the agreement within the next five years.
However, Acting President of the NLC, Comrade Prince Adewale Adeyanju, stated that while Tinubu accurately recounted parts of Nigeria’s democratic journey, he was misinformed about the wage negotiation process outcome.
He said in part; “The NLC would have expected that the advisers of the President would have told him that we neither reached any agreement with the federal government and the employers on the base figure for a National Minimum Wage nor on its other components. Our demand still remains N250,000 (two hundred and fifty thousand Naira) only and we have not been given any compelling reasons to change this position which we consider a great concession by Nigerian workers during the tripartite negotiation process.
“We are therefore surprised at the submission of Mr. President over a supposed agreement. We believe that he may have been misled into believing that there was an agreement with the NLC and TUC.
“There was none and it is important that we let the President, Nigerians and other national stakeholders understand this immediately to avoid a mix up in the ongoing conversation around the national minimum wage. We have also not seen a copy of the document submitted to him and will not accept any doctored document.”
