Tinubu signs N70,000 minimum wage into law

***Akpabio, Lado hail President

By Egena Sunday Ode

President Bola Tinubu has signed into law, the much awaited new national minimum wage of N70, 000.

The brief signing ceremony was took place during regular meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by the president at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Reall that the bill was passed expeditiously into by the National Assembly last week.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and other members of the National Assembly leadership joined the FEC meeting for the ceremony.

A curious development, this is the first time the council presided over by the president is admitting the leadership of the legislature into the Council Chamber during FEC meeting.

It was gathered that their invitation to the meeting was impromptu.

The national assembly leadership arrived the venue at about 1.38pm.

Their involvement in the council meeting comes amid tension over the planned protest by some Nigerians against the rising cost of living in the country.

Both the executive and executive have been ramping up efforts to ameliorate the hardship in the country and trying to convince those organizing the protest of the need to call it off.

Before signing the bill into law, President Tinubu invited several officials to make comments.

Speaking to newsmen after the ceremony, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, hailed President Bola Tinubu for expeditiously signing the new minimum wage bill into law.

He described the signing of the wage bill into law as a great day for all Nigerian workers.

Akpabio who had joined President Tinubu in the brief ceremony to sign the bill, said: “I’m excited about the Nigerian worker and the national minimum wage amendment is for the whole nation; for the federal government, the states, the local governments, for the private sector, and even for individual employers.

“So I think this is a great day for the workers in the country. We are not only doubling the minimum wage, we have added something on top. Initially, it was N30,000, now it is N70,000.

“Like I said, this is minimum, this is not maximum. Any employer that has a capacity can pay as much as you want. But no Nigerian worker will offer services and be paid anything less than 70,000 from today.

“That is the implication of this act. It applies all over the nation. And we are excited that this is happening at a time like this through President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; a man who cares for the Nigerian workers. And you’ve seen what we are doing in the National Assembly.

“When it came, the entirety of the National Assembly moved and passed the bill in one day out of excitement. We felt that this was not something we could delay. So I think the workers are happy.”

Also hailing the Tinubu for promptly signing the bill into law, the Special Adviser to the President on Senate matters,Senator Basheer Lado, described it as “both a promise kept and a demonstration of his love for Nigerian workers.”

He said: “The signing of the minimum wage bill into law by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is both a promise kept and a demonstration of his people-centric governance model.

“Tinubu promised to pay a living wage to Nigerian workers during his electioneering campaigns and he has kept that promise.

“He did not stop there,He ensured that there is a provision in the Minimum Wage Act which now makes it mandatory to review the National Minimum Wage every three years as against five years in the amended Act.

“This shows that workers take home pay will continue to take them home under the present administration.”

He commended President Tinubu for keeping his promise to pay Nigeria workers a living wage, which became a reality just a little over one year of his administration in office.

“The President deserves the commendation of all for stay true to his promise,” Lado said.

Lado also commended Nigerian workers for their resilience and contribution to nation building over the years and urged them to redouble their efforts in the delivery of effective services for the betterment of the citizenry.

He also commended the organised labour movement in the country led by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero and the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Festus Osifo, for their painstaking, matured and peaceful negotiations that led to the over 100 per cent increase in workers’ wages from N30,000.00 to N70,000.00 by President Tinubu.

Lado further lauded all members of the 10th National Assembly ably led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker Tajudeen Abass for their swift passage of the Minimum Wage Bill which has now been assented to by the President.

He noted that their dedication to the cause of the Nigerian workers and unflinching support for the people -oriented policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration mark them out as a very patriotic lot with nationalistic zeal to ensure the welfare of Nigerians since 1999.

He commended the leadership of the organised Private Sector and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum for keying into the President’s vision for enhanced pay package for Nigerian workers in agreeing to pay workers the new minimum wage.

He assured workers in particular and Nigerians in general that the empathy, love and care already demonstrated by the President in ensuring the overall welfare of Nigerias in the last one year, is just a tip of the iceberg compared to when the many economic policies he has initiated take root and begin to bear fruits.