A former presidential aide, Doyin Okupe, has criticized the national minimum wage Act, which requires governors of all 36 Nigerian states to pay a uniform minimum wage to their workers.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s *Politics Today* on Friday, Okupe argued that each governor should have the autonomy to determine the amount they can afford to pay.
“We should not make laws that is un-encompassing that makes it compulsory for all governors in the federation to obey them. They are sub nationalities on the own.
“I mean for instance, if you pay a minimum wage in Lagos, why should I pay that in Sokoto? Let every governor decide for his own state by his own people that this is what I can afford,” Okupe said.
He stated that the President should focus on the Federal Government and allow the states and their respective labor unions to negotiate the minimum wage independently.
For several months, there has been ongoing debate between labor unions and the Federal Government regarding the new minimum wage.
After an ultimatum from labor unions expired on May 31, the unions went on strike on June 3, leading to widespread business closures across the nation.
The strike was suspended on Tuesday following the Federal Government’s promise to raise the minimum wage to an amount exceeding N60,000 as negotiations continue.
The tripartite committee remains in discussions and is expected to announce the new wage soon.
We can’t pay N60,000
Meanwhile, the 36 state governors have declared that the Federal Government’s proposed N60,000 minimum wage is unsustainable and unfeasible.
According to a statement by Mrs. Halima Ahmed, Acting Director of Media Affairs and Public Relations of the Forum, implementing this wage would force many states to allocate their entire monthly funds from the federation account solely to workers’ salaries.
The governors urged the tripartite committee members to agree on a minimum wage that is both fair and sustainable.