Minimum Wage: FG Rejects N22,500 Governors’ Proposal, Says Ngige

The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Mr. Chris Ngige has said that, Federal Government has rejected the N22,500 minimum wage proposal by the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).

Ngige stated this Wednesday during a phone conversation with newsmen in Abuja.

“The governors have not even done enough. I told them that this N22,500 is even rejected by the Federal Government,” Ngige said.

Ngige’s comments came 24 hours after NGF unanimously agreed to pay Nigerian workers N22,500 as the new minimum wage as against the current N18,000.

Chairman of the Forum and Zamfara State Governor, Abdul’Aziz Yari, said that the decision of the governors was based on the current realities on the ground.

But Ngige criticised the governors for the figure saying N22,500 is even below the N24, 000 agreement by the Federal Government.

He, however, said that all parties on the ground would resume back on negotiations to see that the welfare of the workers is met.

Ngige added, “The national minimum wage is a national legislation being driven by the Federal Government of Nigeria in pursuance to item 34 of the Exclusive Legislative list.

“But you don’t go and make a law which people will disobey at the initial.

“If you make a law and hoax a figure that is not agreeable, which people don’t have the capacity or ability to pay because the International Labour Organisation (ILO) says in those negotiations, the principle is the ability to pay.”

The minister, however, decried that the Chairman of the Tripartite Committee, Ms. Amal Pepple is not in the country.

Ngige explained that despite her absence for two weeks for a medical check-up, the Federal Government would convene partners involved in the minimum wage to deliberate on the issue and arrive on the same page.

However, the organized labour Congress are demanding for N30,000 as minimum wage, and the minister said that any industrial action being embarked on the aggrieved workers would not resolve the issues at stake.