President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday directed the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to come up with cost implications on the new minimum wage and present an affordable, sustainable and realistic figure within two days.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made this known while fielding questions from newsmen at the State House, Abuja, after a closed-door meeting with the President, government representatives and organised labour concerning the minimum wage negotiation.
Idris also disclosed that President Tinubu directed the Minister of Finance to present the new minimum wage figures which will form the basis of negotiation with organised labour.
“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 planning, the Minister of Information, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, 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.”
The Minister of Information expressed the preparedness of President Tinubu to accept the committee’s resolutions with the organised labour, adding that the administration is committed to the welfare of Nigerians.
He affirmed the government’s concerns in ensuring a balance between 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 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 that we have come back to the negotiation table.”
The Minister assured that all parties to the negotiation of the new minimum wage would work with 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.”
