Last week, the Labour Community in Nigeria had every reason to rejoice and celebrate as President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law, a Bill for a new minimum wage of N30,000. The All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government had promised to give Nigerian workers and that promised has now been delivered. Most interestingly, without a strike action by the workers.
All Nigerians have been commending President Buhari for this development as it is sure going to spur workers to greater productivity. Both the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress have commended government for meeting their aspirations, a feat the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led Government failed to achieve all through they were in office.
Methinks that it now behooves labour to reciprocate government’s action by redoubling their efforts and increase productivity. A well-motivated worker has no reason to be indolent or unproductive. It is important that workers put in their all for government to be further encouraged to do more.
However, a couple of issues have trailed the new minimum wage First is the fact that some states have expressed their willingness to effect implementation of the new minimum wage. Some are said to be still opposed to it, hiding under the so-called paucity of funds of their states not to implement a law enacted by the National Assembly.
It is great to note that some state governments have agreed to pay the N30,000 national minimum wage. These states include: Edo, Kano, Zamfara, Kwara, Rivers, and Kogi states.
As soon as the negotiations went under way, the Edo State Governor assured workers in the state that whatever the negotiations come up with, the state government would implement it. Edo workers must be happy with the wake and see governor now that the President has signed the Bill into law. They will surely be one of the first states to taste the new minimum wage as Edo people are lucky to have a labour-friendly governor who would do the needful at all times.
In Kano state, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, assured the people of the state that his administration will give priority to the welfare of civil servants in the state. He also said that it is for this reason that the state government is not owing its workers in Kano. “We are ready to pay N30,000 monthly salary, because the welfare of our workers is paramount to anything and we will always give it. We will pay the N30,000,” Ganduje said.
The situation is same in Zamfara state where the governor through his media aide, Ibrahim Dosara, said the state government under his watch would do everything possible to ensure the welfare of workers in the state does not suffer months. The governor of Osun state equally said the present administration will await guidelines on payment of the N30,000 minimum wage for its implementation.
In the same vein, the Kwara state government said it is prepared for the payment of the new minimum wage. The senior special assistant to the governor on media and communications Dr Muyideen Akorede said a committee has been set up to work out the modalities and sources of revenue for payment months before the president signed the new into law.
Also, in Kogi state, a similar committee was set up to look into the modalities of making compliance easy, while the Niger state government said it is disposed to paying the new minimum wage. The Niger state governor, Abubakar Sani Bello said the state will pay the new minimum wage of N30,000. Governor Bello’s aide on media and publicity, Jide Orintunsin, said the state workforce had a 25 per cent salary increase recently placing the state higher than the former minimum wage.
Similarly, in Delta state the chief press secretary to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said the Delta State is not going to be left behind in the payment of the new minimum wage. The Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, has also promised to comply with the provisions of the new minimum wage law. Wike through the state’s commissioner for information and communications, Emma Okah, said “Rivers state Government will pay whatever is prescribed as the new minimum wage bill.” Government of Cross River state have also said that the state is labour friendly and would conform to the provisions of the new national minimum wage Law.
Shockingly, all other states have either been indifferent or have refused to make any commitment at all regarding new wages for workers. But all eyes must be on May 1 rallies across the country where more state CEOs are expected to make their positions known.
But I will like to urge all states in the federation and all MDAs as well as private employers of labour to comply with the law without any delays given the level of poor wages across the country’s workforce. Workers must be encouraged as they are the engine room of the growth of any economy. No workers, no economy and in the same vein; no economy, no nation.
The issue of inability of states to pay raised the question of viability of states of the federation. Any state government that is unable to pay the new minimum wage is not free to exist. It is a truism that Nigerians opposed to the creation of more states have always argued that existing states were not viable as most of them were depending on oil revenue for their survival, which from all intents and purpose is an aberration. I also think we need to continue to interrogate our current federal system as it is existing only on paper. We need revolutionary constitutional changes that would either merge some of the existing states or fully return the nation to regionalization as it were in the days of yore.
It is important that we make the right decisions today so that our future and the future of generations yet unborn could be guaranteed. Decisions we need to take today may not be palatable but it must be taken now otherwise, we proceed with the current alternative of moving Nigeria in an unsustainable pathway.
Some governors are alleged to be considering sacking workers. This plan must be aborted now as it will worsen the economic condition of the country. Instead, the governors should look inwards and dramatically improve their internally generated revenues.
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Mr. Dan Owegie is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Edo State.
