Special to USAfrica magazine (Houston) and USAfricaonline.com, the first African-owned, US-based newspaper published on the Internet.
The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), with membership of all the 36 Governors in the country has dismissed and opposed the increased proposal of N60,000 Naira only for the monthly minimum wage for Nigeria’s economically depressed and financially traumatized workers as unrealistic and unsustainable.
To the surprise and shock of millions of Nigerians, who have seen the wastefulness and corrupt practices with public funds by most of the Governors, past and current, the NGF is opposed to an increase of the pittance being paid to workers. The forum stated on Friday, June 7, 2024 that:
“All things considered, the NGF holds that the N60,000 minimum wage proposal is not sustainable and can not fly. It will simply mean that many states will spend all their FAAC allocations on just paying salaries with nothing left for development purposes.”
The statement released by Hajiya Halimah Salihu Ahmed, the Director Media and Public Affairs of the NGF argued in careful language that: “The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) is in agreement that a new minimum wage is due. The Forum also sympathises with labour unions in their push for higher wages.
However, the Forum urges all parties to consider the fact that the minimum wage negotiations also involve consequential adjustments across all cadres, including pensioners.”
“The NGF cautions parties in this important discussion to look beyond just signing a document for the sake of it; any agreement to be signed should be sustainable and realistic.
In fact, a few states will end up borrowing to pay workers every month. We do not think this will be in the collective interest of the country, including workers.”
NGF continued by
appealing “that all parties involved, especially the labour unions, consider all the socioeconomic variables and settle for an agreement that is sustainable, durable, and fair to all other segments of the society who have legitimate claim to public resources.”
The Tinubu presidency seems all over the mat without any clear, coherent and specific commitment to an improved minimum wage.
By Aliyu Isa Usman, in Abuja and Chido Nwangwu, in Houston.
