Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, While speaking to newsmen at his residence in Abuja on Tuesday,
said that the
September date was just a date to conclude negotiation on the issue of
minimum wage.
According to The Nation, the minister said that the committee on
the new National Minimum wage is expecting to conclude its work by the
end of September and present its report to the government for
deliberation and approval before an executive bill is sent to the
National Assembly on the issue.
He said however that the issue of capacity to pay is also paramount
in the deliberations on the minimum wage, pointing out that it was to
get the input of all those concerned including state governments and the
organised private sector that the committee embarked on zonal public
hearing across the country.
The Minister said further that in the course of the zonal public
hearings, many state governments made different submissions ranging from
N22, 000 monthly to N58, 000, adding that the governors were also of
the believe that foe the new minimum wage to become effective, the
current revenue allocation formula will have to be reviewed in favour of
the states and local government.
Ngige disclosed further that some other states are also of the view
that the minimum wage should be maintained at the current N18, 000 in
view of the inability of some states to pay the current wages.
Senator Ngige said when the minimum wage committee concludes its
report, it will be submitted to the National Council of State and the
Federal Executive Council for approval before a bill is sent to the
National Assembly to legalize the work of the committee.
He said even though it was not an easy task, the committee was
making progress in its assigned responsibility, pointing out that it was
in other to carry everybody, including the states and private sector
along that six governors were elected to be members of the committee as
well as representatives of the organised private sector.