The Nigeria Labour Congress has raised concerns about the composition of the 37-Member Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage, asserting that many governors on the team do not adhere to the minimum wage standards.
Joe Ajaero, the President of the NLC, voiced these reservations during an appearance on the “Politics Today” program on Channels Television, shortly after Vice President Kashim Shettima inaugurated the committee.
Ajaero pointed out, “Most of the governors in the minimum wage committee are those who are not paying minimum wage or are in violation of the regulations. The governors who comply with the minimum wage are not adequately represented.”
He further emphasized, “The Federal Government’s decision to include those not in compliance or in violation in the majority of the membership from the state government in the minimum wage committee is a matter that will unfold over time.”
When asked to identify states failing to implement the minimum wage, Ajaero mentioned, “A state like Zamfara, and I am unsure about the payment practices in Borno and Bauchi. There is a minimum wage law that criminalizes non-compliance, but the Nigerian state has not made significant efforts to enforce these laws. Others are implementing them with breaches. Take Anambra State, for instance; they pay N30,000 as the minimum wage. I challenge anyone from Anambra to prove that even a Permanent Secretary is earning up to N170,000 or N180,000.”
