President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said the federal government will offer the organised labout what the country can afford.
Negotiations between the government, representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have continued over a national minimum wage. The federal government has proposed N62,000 as the new minimum wage, while the organised labour is demanding N250,000. Organised labour has denied reaching any agreement with the government over the minimum wage.
But speaking at the State House during a meeting with some governors and members of the national assembly on the occasion of the nation’s 25th Democracy Day anniversary, Tinubu said the federal government has negotiated with organised labour “in good faith and with open arms” on a new national minimum wage.
He told the leadership of the national assembly present at the meeting, that an executive bill on the minimum wage would be sent to them, “to enshrine what has been agreed upon as part of our law for the next five years or less”.
“Senate president, deputy senate president, you will get a notice from me if I have changed my mind on minimum wage. We are going to do it — what Nigeria can afford, what you can afford, what I can afford. They ask you to cut your coat according to your size, if you have size at all,” Tinubu said.
Tinubu also applauded the governors, saying they are doing their best to improve the welfare of the people.
“My sincere gratitude to all of you standing by me. I promise you, I won’t fail. Nigeria is a great country. We include in our national anthem the essence of service. I have seen many governors both live and on TV serving their people and many of them are here tonight,” Tinubu said.
Tinubu specifically mentioned the following governors — Umo Eno of Akwa, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara, Uba Sani of Kaduna, Sheriff Oborevwor of Delta, Alex Otti of Abia, and Ahmed Ododo of Kogi.
“If I miss you, forgive me,” the president told other governors present.
“Everybody has forgotten the partisanship colour and embraces the green, white, green that depicts Nigeria. That is the value that we hold dear to ourselves. That is the baton, that is the reason that we say we hand over a banner without stain to our children and grandchildren.
“Nigeria is greater than any one of us. That is why the unity of this country cannot be traded.”
