Rita Odafe
The Nigeria Labour Congress has shed light on why some state governors are choosing to disregard the Minimum Wage Act.
Assistant General-Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Chris Onyeka, mentioned that the reluctance stems from their lack of belief in the importance of upholding the law.
During an interview in Abuja with the News Agency of Nigeria, Onyeka expressed concerns over the delayed implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage by 15 states since its enactment in 2019.
Despite the rise in state revenues following the removal of fuel subsidies and the resulting financial strains due to increased fuel prices, these states have failed to pay their workers the stipulated minimum wage.
Onyeka named the states in violation of the minimum wage act as Abia, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Gombe, Niger, Borno, Sokoto, Anambra, Imo, Benue, Taraba, and Zamfara.
He pointed out that governors’ past disregard for laws casts doubts on their willingness to adhere to the national minimum wage act.
Onyeka criticized many governors for their reluctance to pay civil servants, attributing it to their perception of state resources as personal property rather than shared wealth created by the workers.
Highlighting the prevalent fiscal mismanagement and personal greed among some governors, he emphasized the importance of reducing governance costs and eliminating wasteful expenditures.
Onyeka proposed measures such as trimming the number of political appointees and operational vehicles, aligning officials’ salaries with those of civil servants, and enhancing procurement processes for increased transparency and fiscal prudence at all government levels.
