By Teniola Amokeodo
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and others.
Reacting to the governors’ proposal, Akeem Ambali, the National Treasurer of the NLC, emphasized in an interview with Saturday PUNCH that governors lack the authority to negotiate the new minimum wage. He stressed that governors are legally obligated to implement the national minimum wage and advised them to stop pressuring the Federal Government and labor unions to negotiate individually. Instead, they should focus on how to implement the approved national minimum wage.
Ambali lamented the necessity of strike actions for labor to achieve its demands and called for transparency regarding governors’ earnings. He explained that the minimum wage is a national issue governed by the Minimum Wage Act, which limits governors’ negotiation powers to allowances, not the minimum wage itself, which serves as social protection.
He urged governors to prepare for implementing the national minimum wage and not to negotiate with labor at the state level, citing instances like Zamfara and Anambra, where payment issues indicated some governors’ lack of good intentions toward workers.
Ambali also encouraged President Bola Tinubu to recommend the new minimum wage to the National Assembly after consulting with Organised Labour. He suggested using realistic data from the Federal Bureau of Statistics to engage with labor effectively and resolve the issue amicably.
Commending governors who pay the current minimum wage, Ambali criticized those who do not, suggesting that governors’ salaries should also be subject to minimum wage standards to ensure fairness. He expressed concern that the Organised Private Sector (OPS) seemed influenced by the government, initially stating no one earned less than N93,000, only to later propose paying less than N70,000 under governors’
Economist Aliyu Ilias advised governors to commit to a higher minimum wage, citing federal subsidies and the necessity to improve wage conditions. He urged clarity from the government on the Federation Account Allocation Committee’s role in funding wage increases and called for collaboration between the government and labor unions to resolve ongoing disputes.
The Southern Governors’ Forum, following a meeting, called for states to negotiate the minimum wage independently, reflecting the cost of living. However, the Presidency urged patience, assuring that the proposed bill on the new minimum wage would be transmitted to the National Assembly once ready. While Organised Labour demands a N250,000 minimum wage, governors argue that even the proposed N62,000 would be financially burdensome for many states.