Governors not against upward review of living wage, says NGF Chairman

Governors of 36 States of the federation have declared that they are not against the upward review of the minimum wage for workers in the country.

The governors however said that their concern is the ability or resources to take care of that agreed minimum wage.

Thegovernors made the declaration at the end of their meeting held under the aegis of The Nigerian Governors Forum held in Abuja on Wednesday night.

The declaration by the governors came even as the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, called for commitment and sincerity by stakeholders on the issue of the minimum wage.

The President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, made the call while speaking with journalists shortly after an interaction with the Nigerian

Governors Forum (NGF) at the wednesday night meeting in in Abuja.

The Chairman of NGF and governor of Zamfara State, Hon Abdulaziz Yari while briefing journalists at the end of their meeting maintained that the forum was not against the upward review of the minimum wage for the workers in Nigeria.

Yari explained that the issue of minimum wage was not just on agreed figure to be paid by the governors, but the ability or resources to take care of that agreed minimum wage.

The Chairman of the NGF made it clear that the governors were not against any upward review of salaries or against the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to get minimum wage reviewed.

His words, “The problem of state is the capacity to pay what is agreed. As we are talking today, we are struggling with N18,000. Some of the states are paying 35 per cent, some 50 per cent and still some states have salary arrears.

“So, it is not about only reviewing it but how we are going to get the resources to cater for it", he said.

Yari explained that that the President of NLC, Comrade Wabba, was invited to brief the forum on states' performance in the use of London and Paris Club refunds.

The Federal Government, it will be recalled, disbursed the fund to states with the understanding that same will be used largely to pay workers’ salaries.

He said while some states had recorded some progress in line with the condition they signed with the Federal Government, others were still owing arrears.

Continuing, the Chairman of the NGF said, "So, we invited the National President of NLC to give us details on how some states performed. Some other states that are not up to date, where are they?

“So they have signed Memorandum of Understanding with the NLC at the national level and their representative in states on when they are going to overcome the issue of salary arrears.

“That has been done and it has been taken to the Central Bank Governor to ensure that those states were also paid.”

Yari also disclosed that an update was received from the NGF Secretariat on Polio and Primary Healthcare Under One Roof (PHCUOR).

He said governors expressed commitment to facilitate the development of a minimum package and investment plan for State Primary Healthcare Boards.

The Zamfara State governor stated that observations were raised about the issue of PHC, including concern that the function of the local governments was being taken away.

According to him, “It was made clear by some governors that the PHC has nothing to do with the national, that it is just a domestic issue of local governments.

“Those issues were raised, debated and we are going to put a memo in place to the National Economic Council so that it can be discussed", he said

Speaking further, Governor Yari said that the forum received briefing on the forthcoming 24th Nigerian Economic Summit (NES) from Mr Laoye Jaiyeola, the Chief Executive Officer of the NES Group.

“Memebers commended the group for upholding the public-private dialogue and assured the team of the full participation of states as the summit will help align government policies and programmes with the needs of the private sector", he said

The forum, he further revealed took far reaching decisions on the state of security in the country, adding that the decisions would be channelled to the right quarters for appropriate actions.

Among the state governors present at the 8th meeting were the new Ekiti state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi as well as those of Kebbi, Kaduna, Lagos, Benue, Niger, Adamawa, Plateau, and Kogi States.

Also speaking with journalists at the venue of the meeting, the Preside of NLC Comrade Ayuba Wabba, called for commitment and sincerity by stakeholders on the issue.

Wabba said the economic challenge occasioned by continued devaluation, exchange rate, increase in pump price of petroleum products and high electricity tariff had virtually eroded the purchasing power of Nigerians.

He therefore maintained that a review of the minimum wage of N18, 000 was imperative.

His words, “What we are telling the governors is that the review of national minimum wage is due and that everybody must be committed to it in the sense that every state was given an opportunity.

“When the committee started its assignment, we wrote individually to all the state governors and 21 states responded in writing.

“Some quoted figures while some said that whatever is agreed on they are going to pay; some had made statements even recently to saythat they are going to pay.

“So for anybody to come under any platform and say that they have issues with that, I think the best thing is to go back to your state, call your workers together and say I will not be able to pay.

“That I think is honourable and should be done,” the NLC President said.

Wabba said he had spoken to the Governors’ Forum not to see salary as a bonus but legitimate earnings to workers who provide critical services to the economy and other sectors.

He added: “You cannot continue to refer to workers as tiny minority; No! it is this tiny minority that services the entire population.

According to him, “If the quest of government is to provide quality education, then you must use the teachers. The teacher is central.

“To provide quality health care, the health workers and doctors are central, and whatever you pay them is for the services that they render.

“Therefore, for them to continue to render these services, they must be able to take care of their families. This is the whole concept of minimum wage.”

Wabba said apart from the low purchasing power of workers, the current minimum wage of N18, 000 was supposed to have been reviewed as far back as 2016.

He said the review was in line with the union’s agreement with governments during the negotiation of between 2010 and 2011.

“All of these factors put together necessitated the NLC and the organised Labour’s demand from minimum wage which is intandem with the global practice.

“This is supported by Convention 131 of the International Labour organization (ILO).

“It is also supported by recommendation 26 of the ILO that there should be evidence based approach through a process of collective bargain to review the minimum wage.

“Through that engagement, the committee as we are aware was set up in November 2017 but the actual work of the committee did not commence until March this year.

“And the committee gave itself a timeline of between August and September to complete its assignment.

“Everybody was aware of that; even the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, has said severally that minimum wage will be delivered in September,” Wabba said.

On the Federal Government’s ban on private practice by medical doctors in public hospitals, Wabba said such a policy negates the existing labour law.

He said, “Our law as at today allows the doctors to practice outside the office even as workers are allowed to go into farming.

“It is already in the law and you cannot now use White Paper to change it. It has to go through the National Assembly,”