Following the agreement between the Federal Government and Labour union on the new N30,000 minimum wage, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum has disclosed they are not legally bound to honour the terms of the agreement.
Governor Fayemi of Ekiti state, made this disclosure in Abuja while addressing newsmen at the end of a meeting with all 36 state Governors.
Recall the Herald in its publication last week, reported that Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour stated that the new minimum wage will be effected.
The Federal Executive Council, FEC, had also stated the new minimum wage will be effected in December.
However, Gov Fayemi has said the states are not mandated to pay the new minimum wage.
According to him, the Federal Executive Council is not the highest decision-making body in the state. States also have the State Executive Council that oversees the affairs of the state. Hence, the Federal
Government agreement is for Federal Government workers and does not apply to the state workers.
“I am sure you know the FEC does not determine what happens in the states, the states have their own states executive councils and that is the highest decision-making body at the state level,” he said.
“The forum (NGF) as the representative body of the states followed what happened in the negotiations that transpired. As far as we are concerned, the best that the forum can do is stick to what has been agreed with states.”
“States were part of the tripartite negotiation and agreed to N30,000 minimum wage. But states also know there will be consequential adjustments. That would be determined by what happened on a state-by-state basis because there are different numbers of workers at the state level, there are different issues at the state level,” he said.
“Every state has its own trade union, with a negotiating committee and they would undertake this discussion with their state government. That is simply what we have said.
“The day after the agreement was reached with labour, I was on record on Channels TV, and I made the position of the states clear that for us, we have always been clear that this was a national minimum wage increase, not a general minimum wage review.
“So to that extent, we do not want the media to confuse issues about a national minimum wage increase. And yes that may necessitate consequential increment and we have no doubt about that. But that is a matter for the states to discuss with their workers.”
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