President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, said he would approve a new minimum wage that the government can afford.
Tinubu, who stated this at a dinner to mark Nigeria’s 25 years of unbroken Democracy in Abuja, also appreciated those who stood by him over the years and promised Nigerians that he wouldn’t depart from the tenets of democratic governance.
“I have to celebrate with you my dear brother, Senate President, Deputy Senate President,” he said, adding that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his deputy, Jibrin Barau would soon get an Executive Bill from him on the new minimum wage.
“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,” he said.
The President also promised to bring down food prices by tackling the menace of banditry that has forced many farmers away from their farms.
Earlier, in his Democracy Day speech, the President honoured MKO Abiola and other heroes of democracy.
President Bola Tinubu also announced that a new minimum wage bill would soon be sent to the National Assembly and encouraged Nigerians to support his administration’s efforts to boost the country’s economy.
The labour and government did not agree on Friday, June 7, 2024. While labour demand fell again, from N494,000 to N250,000, the government increased its first offer to N60,000 to N62,000 for workers.
The President received the reports from both parties and is likely to decide and send an executive bill to the National Assembly for approval of a new minimum wage bill that the President would sign into law.
Labour Counter Tinubu on Claim of Agreement
REPORTERS AT LARGE reported the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), saying that organised labour did not come to a consensus on a new minimum wage. President Tinubu’s assertions that a deal had been reached on new national minimum salaries prompted this response.
President Bola Tinubu announced that the Federal Government and organised labour had agreed on the much-discussed new minimum wage. He stated this on Wednesday during his countrywide broadcast in honour of Democracy Day,
Labour Insists on N250,000 Minimum Wage
However, after negotiations on Friday, June 7, 2024, the interim president of the NLC, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, stated in a statement that no agreement had been reached by the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage.
“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,” Adeyanju stated about the labour demand, which is still set at N250,000 only.
