• Living wage possible if FG reduces cost of governance, says Aji
• Onyejeocha tasks National Assembly on pro-worker legislations, reforms
• Reiterates FG’s commitment to minimum wage
• How to resolve minimum wage crisis, by Olaopa
• NLC faults N’ Assembly’s oversight on minimum wage negotiations

Retired Generals serving at the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), yesterday, called on the federal government to resolve minimum wage issues with the organised labour to avert a re-enactment of the violent protests that happened in Kenya.

The centre, which made the call in Abuja during a briefing, also urged the government to address the Kano emirship tussle and the political imbroglio in Rivers State.

The chairman of the centre’s board of trustees, Major General Christopher Olukolade, said such developments have a tendency to snowball into violence.

Olukolade said the government and the organised private sector should urgently resolve minimum wage negotiations which, according to him, have lingered for quite long.

He noted: “We have identified potentially violent or volatile developments in the country, which we believe could spark off unnecessary crises with far-reaching consequences to our national security, if they are not well managed. And that’s why I want to identify the ones we can pick on, among many others.

“First in that list is the yet-to-be-resolved minimum wage issue that has pitched the labour movement against the federal government. We do not subscribe to the idea of sweeping this issue under the carpet.”

He added: “We therefore want to unequivocally call on the government and the organised private sector to summon the required courage to take a decision on this matter, and to meet and resolve it once and for all, rather than constantly postpone the resolution.

“So, the time to conclude the negotiation that has lasted so long is now, and the earlier it is done, the better. We strongly suggest that it should be completed. Let’s make a decision on the nation’s minimum wage.”

Other members of the centre who jointly addressed the briefing were Commodore A. Aliu (rtd), Rear Admiral Almu (rtd), Yushau Shaibu, and Mr Chido Omeje.

This came as stakeholders waded into the minimum wage deadlock between the federal government and Nigerian workers and offered solutions on how a living wage could be implemented.

The forum was a one-day retreat in Abuja, titled ‘Labour Reform and the Quest for Living Wage in Nigeria: A Focus on Legislative Intervention’, organised by National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILDS).

A former Head of Service of the Federation, now Chairman, Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, Bukar Goni Aji, listed conditions the Nigerian government needed to take to be able to pay a living wage to workers.

Aji said: “We must reduce our profit margins on government contracts. In every N1 billion contract awarded, the actual value delivered may not be more than N400 million. No economy can sustain this, whether China or the United States. We must critically look at that point.  

The next is an area that has become topical these days; the issue of procurement of SUVs by government agencies. We also need to critically look at that based on the current economic realities. The four-year replacement period of government vehicles must change to between eight to 10 years. If a Prado SUV is procured for a Director General in a government agency, that vehicle must serve eight to 10 years; not four because the economy can no longer sustain it.”

Aji, who affirmed that a living wage is possible in Nigeria, however, noted: “We need time for the gestation and fruition of some of the economic programmes of the administration; every ambition that you have must start from somewhere. Also, some of the economic policies that are harsh now, are geared towards repositioning the economy. This is one of the critical factors. When we allow them to materialise, it will be one of the reasons the country will afford a living wage.”

Also, the chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa, suggested ways to resolve the current minimum wage.
The bureaucrat, who noted that the topic was relevant since the process of fixing a national minimum wage was yet to be resolved, recalled that in April 2024, President Bola Tinubu constituted a 37-member Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage with the charge to recommend a new minimum wage.

He said the timing of this significant move by the government was predicated on the attainment of the statutory five-year period following the last enactment of the rate in April 2019; and the significant rise in the cost of living resulting largely from the government’s removal of subsidies on petroleum products, and the unification of forex rates . He said that whereas labour’s last offer was N250,000 per month, that of government and private sector employers was in the region of N60,000.

According to him, faced with this impasse, the President has the option of calling labour for a last-ditch discussion toward some compromise figure or to submit the government’s preferred figure to the National Assembly for enactment.

“If the second option is chosen, the National Assembly will be advised to take up the gauntlet of mediation to reach a mutual rate, before the enactment. Where no agreement is reached after such efforts, the Assembly can pass the law anyway, because it is not absolutely necessary that agreement is reached in every negotiation. ”

He added: “With regard to the unresolved minimum wage, even the N62,000 which the government is proposing, if calculated and extrapolated along compression ratio and the consequential it will generate, implementing will be a significant pressure on the national economy. How much more if the government meets labour even half-way to the N250,000 it proposed?”

Minister of Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, asked members of the National Assembly to enact pro-worker legislations and reforms that promote suitable working environments and productivity.

The minister also reaffirmed the federal government’s dedication to upholding the rights and wellbeing of all workers, ensuring they receive fair treatment, safe working conditions, and a decent income that aligns with their needs and contributions.

The minister told lawmakers: “Your legislative oversight and commitment to enacting laws that protect and empower workers are vital to the success of our reform agenda. Together, and as your colleague, we can do more and indeed, build a legal framework that supports our vision for a just and equitable labour market.”

She further explained that the Tripartite Committee’s submissions on a new national minimum wage were highlighted as a blueprint for actionable reforms. 

She added: “The government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is unwavering in its dedication to ensuring that all workers are treated with dignity, work in safe environments, and earn a living wage. Our vision is clear: to create a labour market that is fair, equitable, and capable of sustaining the aspirations of every Nigerian worker.

“Central to our efforts is the work of the Tripartite Committee comprising government, organised private sector and organised labour, which has diligently engaged with stakeholders on the critical issue of a new national minimum Wage.”

On its part, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) faulted the National Assembly over poor legislative oversight. It said Congress had thought the Assembly would have weighed in on the side of Nigerian people and workers in the current wage impasse, especially given the pledge by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate President.

NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said it was sad that the National Assembly, being the closest to the people, had not risen to the occasion.
He said if it had, employers would have curtailed their belligerence and reached a reasonable accommodation on the wage-fixing effort. 
 
However, he said there was still an opportunity for the Assembly to show that it is always with the people and not with those who oppress them.
 
Ajaero said Nigerian workers deserve better working conditions and cannot be paid just any wage. He urged the Assembly to ask the right questions and make the right decisions for the benefit of the nation. 

Ajaero added: “We create wealth and we deserve a healthy portion of it. The present angst in the country can only be assuaged by reasonable income to Nigerian people and workers.
 
“Lay more focus on strengthening social security systems to provide a safety net for workers during times of economic hardship, unemployment, or health emergencies.

“Seek ways to make laws for effective social dialogue which will foster an inclusive dialogue between the government, employers, and labour unions to ensure that policies are balanced, fair, and effectively address the needs of all stakeholders.”

Also, the President, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Festus Osifo, said Nigerians were passing through tough times, making life extremely difficult. He said negotiating a new minimum wage was necessary because of high inflation in the country.

Senator Godswill Akpabio, who was represented by Senate Committee Chairman on Employment, Labour and Productivity, Diket Plang, said the National Assembly is passionate about issues relating to Nigeria workers and is ready to stand side by side with them.

 

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