Breaking: Tinubu Directs Finance Minister, Edun To Work Out Cost Implications Of Minimum Wage

-Expresses Commitment To Citizens’ Welfare

-Urges Panel To Work On New Sustainable Wage Award

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to work out the cost implications of the proposed new minimum wage and report same to him within two days.

Speaking with newsmen on Tuesday after the meeting of the government representatives in the Minimum Wage Negotiations Panel chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, with the President at the State House, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, also said Tinubu was committed to citizens’ welfare by ensuring the payment of living wages.

According to him, the President equally charged the negotiation panel to arrive at an affordable, sustainable and realistic  figure within the specified two days.

He said the estimate to be presented to the President would become the new template for negotiations with the tripartite committee comprising government representatives, labour and the organised private sector involved in the negotiations.

Idris said “the President has just summoned a meeting of all those who negotiated on behalf of the Federal government led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Minister of Finance was there the Minister of Budget.and National  Planning, the Minister of Information, the Minister of Labour and the NNPCL GMD.

We were all there to look at all issues and the President has directed the Minister of Finance to do the numbers and get back to him between today and tomorrow so that we can have figures ready for negotiation with labour”

He expressed the determination of the President to accept the committee’s resolutions with the organised labour, adding that the Nigerian leader was committed to the welfare of Nigerians.

The Minister affirmed the government’s concerns in ensuring balance on its commitment and the realities in the country.

“And let me say that the President is determined to go with what the committee has said and he’s also looking at the welfare of Nigerians 

“Government is not against or opponent of labour discussions; government is not an opponent of wage increase. But what is there is that Governors are always there to ensure that there is a balance between what government pronouncement is and what the realities are on ground and therefore we will work assiduously to ensure that whatever promises government make is promise that will be kept. That is the idea of this meeting”.

Idris added that the President also directed the government representatives to work with the organised private sectors and the sub-nationals together to achieve a new affordable and sustainable wage award for Nigerians.

“The President has given a matching order that all those who have negotiated on behalf of the Federal government and all those who are representatives of organised private sectors,the sub nationals to come together to have a new wage award that is affordable, sustainable and that is also realistic for Nigerians.

“The wage award is not just that of the Federal government. Like I mentioned earlier the sub nationals are involved; the Organised Private Sector is involved. It was labour that stepped out during that procedure. Now we have come back to the negotiation table” 

The Minister assured that all parties to the negotiation would work together with the organised labour to present a new minimum wage for Nigerians in one week.

“All of us will work together assiduously within the next one week to ensure that we have a new wage for Nigeria that is acceptable ,sustainable and also realistic”