On the special occasion of World Environment Day marked every June 5, President Bola Tinubu calls for earnest effort and action by citizens, stakeholders, institutions, and development partners to safeguard the environment and ensure a win-win transition to a prosperous and clean economy future for all.

The World Environment Day, established by the United Nations during the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment in 1972, is an important moment for raising awareness on environmental matters.

The theme of this year's occasion, 'Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience', is very significant, particularly for Nigeria, where the scourge of drought threatens parts of the country.

According to the projections of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, about 40 percent of our planet’s land is degraded, which directly impacts half of the world’s population. 

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification also says the number and duration of droughts have increased by 29 percent since 2000 and that without urgent action, droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world's population by 2050.

In his determined march towards Nigeria's aspiration to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, President Tinubu established the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions, which he chairs, to oversee the nation's climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, as well as green economy initiatives.

The President also approved the establishment of Nigeria's first Green Industrial Zone, Evergreen City, which is poised to be the leading manufacturing hub in Africa for renewable energy technologies, green solutions, and climate-adaptation technologies.

The President restates his commitment to ensuring the planting of 25 million trees by 2030, not only to protect the environment but also to provide opportunities for Nigeria's youths within the green-economy value chain.

While calling for a more proactive approach to protect the land and ecosystem through afforestation, water conservation, and the cessation of indiscriminate felling of trees, President Tinubu emphasizes that to heal our world, we must begin by healing the land and its people.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

As a proud and unyielding advocate of the rights of all in our beloved realm, I find myself utterly perplexed and deeply saddened by the mere suggestion that our esteemed National Assembly would seek to stifle the hallowed right of workers to engage in lawful strike action. This notion, I must adamantly declare, is one that I simply cannot bring myself to believe.

The fundamental entitlement to strike, bestowed upon the noble laborers of our land, has been affirmed by our courts, local and international and it is a sacred cornerstone of our social fabric – a cornerstone that must be safeguarded with the utmost vigilance. To even contemplate the subversion of this legitimate process would constitute a most worrisome development, one that would grievously infringe upon the basic rights of our hardworking citizens.

Strikes, I must emphatically state, are a rightful and crucial tool for our valiant workforce to negotiate for improved working conditions, fair wages, and the social protections they so rightly deserve. These actions are not merely a privilege, but a fundamental human right, enshrined in the very ethos of social justice and the principles of collective bargaining. Any attempt to criminalize this time-honored practice would undoubtedly undermine the very foundations upon which the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has championed – the bedrocks of social dialogue, collective bargaining, and tripartism.

Should the National Assembly, in a moment of unthinkable transgression, pursue such an egregious course of action, it would undoubtedly exacerbate the already strained industrial relations in our beloved Nigeria. Such a move would inevitably lead to further unrest and social upheaval, shattering the fragile bonds of trust between workers and their elected representatives. Nay, they must instead focus their efforts on addressing the underlying issues driving the justifiable demands of our workers, including the provision of fair compensation, decent working environments, and adequate social safeguards.

Constructive dialogue with labor organizations and all relevant stakeholders is the only path forward. Only through such earnest and compassionate engagement can we hope to find solutions that promote true social justice, fair labor practices, and the sustainable development of our nation. For it is only through the harmonious collaboration of all stakeholders that we can forge a future of economic prosperity and social harmony, where the unalienable rights of the worker are safeguarded with unwavering commitment.

However, I must also express my grave concern over the reported instances of criminality that have at times accompanied strike actions. The tampering with our national grid, for example, is a most disturbing development that cannot be tolerated, for there are certain essential services that must remain uninterrupted, even in the face of legitimate worker protests. While I staunchly defend the right to strike, I cannot condone actions that jeopardize the well-being of the broader populace.

It is my fervent hope that our esteemed lawmakers will approach this delicate matter with the utmost wisdom, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to the well-being of all Nigerians. For only through such steadfast dedication can we forge a future where the rights of the worker are not merely enshrined in law, but honored with the reverence they so rightfully deserve.

-Dr Olukayode Ajulo, OON, SAN

President Bola Tinubu extends his congratulations to Her Excellency, Ms. Claudia Sheinbaum on her historic election as the first female President of the United Mexican States (Mexico).

Ms. Sheinbaum won the Mexican presidential election by a landslide, becoming the first female President in the country since its independence in 1821.

President Tinubu states that the election of President-elect Sheinbaum accents the voices of women in government, shatters political glass ceiling, and sends a reverberating message across the world that women must not only be participants but principal architects in shaping and implementing decisions affecting the lives of many.

On behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, the President congratulates the people of Mexico and calls for the strengthening of bilateral ties between both nations across areas of mutual interest.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

It was Freedom Day again in South Africa on April 27, a few weeks to the general elections held last week.

This year,  South Africans actually  celebrated a milestone: 30 years ago the first post-apartheid election was held and the  heroic symbol  of struggle for multi-racial democracy  in the country, Nelson Mandela, was elected president. A new constitution was also introduced on that day.

It also happened that on that day of the first election in 1994, a child was born in the household of Mr. Ernesto Ubisi and Mrs. Mariama Ubisi, both Mozambicans immigrants in a  poor  village called Lillyade in the Mpumalanga province of   South Africa.

The family of Ubisi elected  to name the new arrival Vote. At 30, Vote now works as a waiter in the South African tourist industry.

Mr. Vote Ubisi spoke  in a television interview on the Freedom Day  as  the campaigns were in full swing for the last week election. Vote  was excited that he would vote in the election. Remarkably, Vote was hopeful about the future of South Africa. On the one hand,  Vote  cherished the fact of being born into freedom. As he put it, he had no memory of the odious past of apartheid. On the hand he commented  that 30 years after apartheid  potable water was not still available in the village. That was Vote’s graphic  way of making the point that  the dream of an equitable society was  yet to be fully realised. For joblessness, inequality, violent crimes  and official corruption are still the defining features  of the South African society.

To be fair to  the country’s leadership in a statement to the nation on the Freedom Day, President Cyril Ramaphosa honestly  put the problems mentioned in the foregoing into a sharp focus.  

In many respects, Vote’s  views were representative of the electoral mood in the country. It was a mixture of a deep sense disappointment  in many constituencies and flickers of optimism  in several others.

Little surprise then that  this trend  was amply reflected in the results of the elections  announced  at the weekend. The African National Congress (ANC), the party of Mandela, lost the electoral majority for the first time in 30 years. The party that was once clearly dominant will now be compelled to go into a coalition to govern. Although the ANC still has the highest percentage of the votes, it is now in  its weakest position politically  in three decades.

The party needs 50% of the votes to form a government alone. Unfortunately, it scored only 40.2% as against   21.8% of the Democratic Alliance (DA); 14.9% of the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party and the 9.5% of the youthful Economic Freedom Front (EFF). Both MK and EFF are breakaway political forces from the ANC. The MK is a political platform  hurriedly put together for former President Jacob Zuma to return to power while the EFF is more ideologically opposed to the socio-economic  policies of the ANC government.  The DA has been a long-standing opposition with a liberal agenda. It has its  provenance in the  old National Party of the apartheid era.

Critics of ANC had long  predicted this electoral decline of the great organisation which transformed most admirably  from a liberation  movement into a robust political party.

The failure of  the ANC  to tackle poverty decisively  despite the party’s past electoral fortunes is, perhaps, the major factor for the downward trend in its popularity. The issues of the elections were the surging crime rates, poor power supply, official corruption and widening inequality. All these problems have persisted despite South Africa being rated as the economy with the  largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Africa for years. For some time,  South Africa was the toast of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. As its economic managers embraced neo-liberal reforms, South Africa became a model of how to  get things right in economic terms. Now, the lesson is that the application of market forces alone cannot solve the problems of poverty and inequality. If anything, neo-liberal excesses  can only deepen poverty.  The allies of ANC in the days of th struggle for freedom – the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)  – warned against  this trend, which came to a  climax under Ramaphosa. Party leaders such as the  late Winnie Mandela pointed to the huge numbers of black people still in poverty and the increasing alienation of the ANC from a segment of its base. 

All told, the good news is that democracy has triumphed again  in South Africa despite Zuma’s criticisms of the results. The people’s will has prevailed and the election was conclusive.

As the ANC ponders its coalition options, it may need to also look ahead to correct the errors that produced the electoral mood of which Mr. Vote Ubisi ‘s commentary was a metaphor.

No fewer than 30 state governments of the federation have spent ₦986.64bn on recurrent expenditures, including refreshments, sitting allowances, travelling, utilities amongst others in the first three months of 2024.

The states’ budget implementation reports, which were obtained from Open Nigerian States, a website supported by BudgIT that acts as a repository for public budget data, were analysed for the first three quarters of the year.

Punch examined budget implementation data from thirty states. Data for six states were not available.

Benue, Imo, Niger, Rivers, Sokoto and Yobe States were the ones without Q 1, 2024 data.

According to the report, 30 states spent ₦5.1bn on refreshments for guests, ₦4.67bn on sitting allowances to government officials, ₦34.63bn on local and foreign travel expenses, and ₦5.64bn on utility bills, amounting to ₦50.02bn in the first three months of 2024.

The general utilities include electricity, internet, telephone charges, water rates, and sewerage charges, among others.

The sub-nationals also paid ₦405.77bn as salaries to their workers.

Other recurrent spending items covered in the report included the amount spent on foreign and domestic travel, internet access fees, entertainment, foodstuff, honorarium/sitting allowance, wardrobe allowances, telephone bills, electricity charges, stationery, anniversaries/special days, welfare, aircraft maintenance, and more.

In the first three months of 2024, Abia State spent ₦10.92bn on its recurrent expenditures, including ₦165.38m on refreshments and feeding, ₦39.26m on utilities, ₦214.57m on sitting allowances, ₦127.1m on local and foreign travels, among miscellaneous expenses.

During this period, Adamawa State expended ₦23.7bn on recurrent expenditures with ₦287.61m spent on refreshments and feeding, ₦109.62m on utilities, ₦79.57m on sitting allowances, ₦768.77m on local and foreign travels.

For Akwa Ibom State, recurrent expenditure gulped ₦46.85bn, which included N4.46m on refreshments and feeding, ₦223.32m on utilities, ₦6m on sitting allowances, ₦214.61m on local and foreign travel.

Anambra State disbursed N9.91bn for recurring expenses with ₦78.18m on refreshments and feeding, ₦32.52m on utilities, ₦42.09m on sitting allowances, ₦188.39m on local and foreign travel.

Also, recurrent expenditures cost Bauchi State Government ₦35.75bn with ₦397.58m going to utilities, ₦50.8m on refreshments, ₦287.11m on allowances, and ₦413.56m on trips.

Bayelsa State spent ₦35.1bn on recurrent expenditures, comprising ₦28.4m on utilities, ₦156.14m on refreshments and ₦279.99m on trips.

Similarly, Lagos State disbursed ₦189.62bn for recurrent expenditures, including ₦1.21m for refreshments, ₦383.12m for utilities, sitting allowances costing ₦52.79m and ₦633.37m on travels.

Borno spent ₦18.79bn, Cross Rivers (₦17.44bn), Delta (₦68.68bn), Ebonyi (₦14.95bn), Edo (₦32.32bn), Ekiti (₦32.8bn), Enugu (₦7.51bn) and Gombe with ₦20.89bn.

Within the same period, Jigawa State spent N15.52bn on the recurrent expenditures, Kaduna expended ₦34.69bn, Kano (₦34.41bn), Katsina (₦21.87bn), Kebbi (₦11.67bn), Kogi (₦37.4bn), Kwara (₦24.34bn), Nasarawa (₦18.61bn), Ogun (₦47.12bn), Ondo (₦31.12bn), Osun (₦24.39bn), Oyo (₦40.12bn), Plateau (₦24.70bn), Zamfara (₦13.46bn), and Taraba (₦20.93bn).

[NaijaNews]

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has frowned at the recent vandalism of structures on the second Niger bridge. 

 A statement by Orji Uchenna Orji, a lawyer and special adviser (media) to the minister, on Tuesday said the destruction of the joints used to absorb the thermal expansion of the bridge was a ‘cowardly’ act.

 “The minister condemns this ruthless destruction in strongest terms. It is a deliberate act of sabotage on a key national infrastructure that has immense socio-economic benefits to the contiguous states, and indeed, the entire country. It is saddening that a human being with the right senses could destroy such a critical and strategic treasure that catalyses Nigeria’s socio-economic advancement,” he said.

The minister assured the public that a more formidable security architecture was being activated to forestall further havoc on the facilities, while a technical team had been directed to inspect, evaluate  and reinstate the damaged parts of the superstructure. 

“The Federal Ministry of Works shall promptly and handsomely reward any person or group who nabs or gives useful information on the identities of perpetrators of the vandalism of facilities on the bridge or any of our road infrastructures nationwide. We shall ensure that such perpetrators face the full wrath of the law,” he added.

[DailyTrust]

The Nigeria Labour Congress has described the federal government’s silence on the April 3 electricity tariff hike as disappointing.

NLC disclosed this in its communique on Tuesday after its National Executive Council meeting where it suspended its indefinite strike for one week.

The development comes after the federal government in a meeting with organized labour on Monday agreed to pay minimum wage higher than N60,000.

However, the government has yet to say anything about the second part of labour’s demand, which is electricity tariff reversal.

NLC expressed disappointment over the government’s silence and lack of concrete action regarding the reversal of the electricity tariff hike and the abolition of the apartheid classification of electricity consumers into Bands.

“The NEC reaffirms that these issues are critical to alleviating the financial burden on Nigerian workers and the general populace. The electricity tariff hike and discriminatory Band classification remain unacceptable and must be addressed alongside the wage increase,” it stated.

Recall that on April 3, the NERC approved tariff increment of over N200 per kwh for customers getting 20-24 hours power supply.

The hike generated reactions among Nigerians.

In reaction, the government earlier announced a minor reduction of N18, bringing it down to N208.80kwh for band A customers.

However, unsatisfied with the reduction, the NLC, the Trade Union Congress and other organizations called for the complete reversal of the electricity tariff hike.

It was part of the demand presented to the federal government, alongside the issue of minimum wage.

[DailyPost]

The Federal Government will today present figures to Labour to back its minimum wage offer.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, to calculate the cost implications.

The President gave the directive when he met with members of the Federal Government’s negotiation team.

The two labour centres – Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) – announced a suspension of the strike for a week after the President intervened.

The Tripartite Committee met to adopt an agenda mandating its members to continue an all-week-long negotiation as part of the pact.

The Senate promised to fast-track passage of a new Minimum Wage Bill when agreed upon.

Labour on Monday embarked on strike to register its displeasure over the outcome of last Thursday’s meeting by the wage committee.

The Federal Government and the private sector proposed N60,000, but labour demanded N494,000.

The strike led to the shutting down of the national grid and disruption of flights.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said President Tinubu asked Edun to provide the figures, which will guide the government’s negotiation with Labour.

At the meeting were Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Atiku Bagudu; Minister of State for Labour and Employment Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; and Group Managing Director of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari.

Idris said: “It’s been quite challenging, but we thank God that we’re at this point.

“We thank Labour that true to their words, they have suspended the strike.

“The President summoned a meeting of all those who negotiated on behalf of the Federal Government, led by the SGF.

“The President directed the Minister of Finance to do the numbers and get back to him between today (yesterday) and tomorrow (today) so that we can have some figures ready for negotiation with Labour.”

Idris stressed that the President was committed to a realistic and acceptable new minimum wage.

He said: “The government is not opposed to discussions or wage increase, but is desirous of ensuring that there is a balance.

“Therefore, we’ll work assiduously to ensure that whatever we do, whatever promises the government makes, will be kept. That’s the idea of this meeting.

“A wage award is not just that of the Federal Government. The sub-nationals are involved. The organised private sector is involved. Labour is involved.

“It was Labour that staged a walkout during those proceedings.

“Now that we’ve come back to the negotiating table, all of us will work together again, assiduously, within the next one week to ensure that we have a new wage for Nigeria that is acceptable, sustainable and also realistic for all Nigerians.”

The NLC and TUC decided to suspend the strike after an emergency National Executive Council meeting yesterday.

In a communique signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero and his TUC counterpart Festus Osifo, labour said it suspended the strike to create the right ambience for negotiation to continue unhindered.

The communique reads: “The NEC in session resolved that there is a greater need to create the right ambience for negotiation to continue unhindered.

“The indefinite nationwide strike action is, therefore, relaxed for one week from today (yesterday) to allow the Federal Government to commit to a concrete and acceptable National Minimum Wage; take definitive steps to reverse the electricity tariff hike back to N66/kWh and abolish the discriminatory classification of electricity consumers into bands.

“The NLC and TUC national leadership are mandated to continue to maintain open channels of communication with the Federal Government to negotiate and secure favourable outcomes for Nigerian workers and people.

“All affiliate unions and state councils are, therefore, directed to relax the indefinite nationwide strike and return to their respective workplaces immediately.

 “The NEC-in-Session expresses profound gratitude to Nigerian workers and the general public for their unwavering support and solidarity in this critical struggle for improved living and working conditions.

 “The NLC and TUC remain committed to pursuing all necessary actions to protect the rights and welfare of all Nigerian people and workers as we urge all to await further directives while the negotiation continues.”

Osifo said Labour was not fixated on N494,000.

Speaking on Channels last night, he said: “At the tripartite meeting last Friday, they told us they could not do more than N60,000.  All pleas and reasoning fell on deaf ears.

“When that happened, we had no choice but to call the strike. On Monday, we met with the SGF where they committed to do more than N60,000.

“The government knows very well that we are not fixated on the N494,000 we proposed.

“We also know that not all stakeholders, I mean employers of labour, can afford that sum.

“What should determine where we will end is the principles. We want the government to apply common principles to her proposal.

“When you’re going for negotiations, you go with your best-case scenario.

“So, we have gone with our best case; it is now left for the government to come up with theirs.

“But what we will use for the national minimum wage borders on the principle of the value of whatever is being offered and we have a system of calculating it.

“Whatever the Federal Government will be offering us must not be less than the worth value of the minimum wage of 2011 and 2019 can take.”

We will consider capacity of states, OPS to pay

Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the lawmakers would speed up the legislative process on the new wage law when it comes.

He spoke during plenary following a motion calling on the NLC and TUC to suspend the strike.

It was sponsored by Senator Diket Plang (PDP – Plateau Central), who chairs the Senate Committee on Labour and Employment.

During the debate, information got to the chamber that the strike had been suspended, and the motion was stepped down.

Akpabio said: “Taking it (motion) will mean that we are jumping the gun and we are trying to settle the issues for them.

“There are many variables that they will look at – the capacity of states, local governments and the private sector to pay.

“The last minimum wage which was fixed at N30,000.00 by this parliament, but how many states were able to pay?

“How many local governments were able to pay? How many employers were able to pay?

“We’ll be looking at those things holistically. We should not rest until we arrive at an amicable resolution of the issue.

“I want to thank Labour for listening to the voice of Nigerians and the international community by calling off the strike to enable negotiations to continue and we wish them well in the negotiations.

“We will continue to do our best by making contributions and at the same time awaiting the incoming Bill on Minimum Wage for us to enact for the benefit of all Nigerians.”

[TheNation]

•President orders minister to calculate cost, Labour gives one-week ultimatum

Organised Labour may settle for N100,000 minimum wage as the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage commences daily meetings for five days to reach a consensus.

Multiple sources in the labour movement told The PUNCH on Tuesday that the union leaders were willing to review their demand from N494,000 to N100,000, following the criticism and controversy that trailed their proposal which was considered outrageous and unrealistic.

In a statement by his media aide, Rabiu Ibrahim on Saturday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the proposed minimum wage would result in an annual expenditure of N9.5tn, a burden he described as untenable for the nation’s finances.

Despite the intervention of the leadership of the National Assembly, labour embarked on an indefinite strike on Monday, a development that grounded economic activities nationwide.

Banks, airports, public schools and courts were shut, forcing the Federal Government to convene an emergency meeting to find a way out of the impasse.

In a bid to move the negotiation forward, the unions on Tuesday announced the suspension of the industrial action for five days after President Bola Tinubu agreed to pay a national minimum wage higher than N60,000 and the tripartite committee pledged its readiness to convene daily until a new minimum wage is announced.

To show his commitment to the negotiation, the President on Tuesday directed the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to present the cost implications for a new minimum wage within two days.

 Tinubu gave the order at a meeting with the government negotiation team led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Speaking with The PUNCH in confidence because Labour had not formally presented its final offer to the tripartite committee, a senior NLC official confirmed that the unions would insist on N100,000 minimum wage.

Agenda setting

He stated, “Today’s (Tuesday) meeting was essentially to set an agenda and plan how to complete the assignment within the five days.

“The government representatives did not mention a raise in the N60, 000.  They just set the agenda on what to do and how to go about the negotiation. There was no mention of any increment. But labour planned to close the negotiation on N100,000 minimum wage.’’

The Deputy Head of NLC Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, also confirmed that the Tuesday tripartite meeting on minimum wage was to draw an agenda for the daily meetings.

“We met today (Tuesday) to draw up an agenda for the one-week daily meeting. We met today and drew the agenda because the agreement was that we meet daily for the meet one week and on our own, we said we are relaxing the strike not even suspending it.

“It’s more like putting everybody on red alert. It means we are not going to give any notice. Which means by this time next week, we are going on strike. There is a difference between relax and suspend. Relax is to stay on your duty post and put your hands on the trigger. It is tomorrow (today) that we are expecting the government to submit another proposal,’’ he explained.

The organised labour vowed to reject any little addition to the N60,000 offer by the tripartite committee on the new minimum wage.

The President of the Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo, made this known on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday.

TUC warns

When asked whether labour would accept a few thousand naira additions to the offer, the TUC boss said,  “No, we also told them that it’s not that we’d get to the table and you start adding N1, N2, N3,000 as you were doing and we got some good guarantees here and there that they would do something good.”

Osifo added that labour was not fixated on N494,000 as the new minimum wage for workers in the country but the tripartite committee must show seriousness and offer workers something economically realistic in tandem with current inflationary pressures.

Though the union leader refused to mention a specific amount, he said the new minimum wage must be equal in purchasing power to the value of N30,000 in 2019 and N18,000 in 2014.

But disclosing to journalists the presidential directive to the finance minister, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said Tinubu during the meeting directed Edun to provide the financial implications of the new minimum wage in 48 hours.

He noted, “The President has just summoned a meeting of all those who negotiated on behalf of the Federal Government led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The minister of finance was there, the minister of budget planning, the minister of information, the minister of budget and national planning, the minister of labour, and the NNPCL GMD.

“We were all there to look at all issues and the President has directed the minister of finance to do the numbers and get back to him between today and tomorrow so that we can have figures ready for negotiation with labour.”

Presidential directive

Idris assured of the President’s readiness to accept the committee’s resolutions, adding that “The President is determined to go with what the committee has said and he’s also looking at the welfare of Nigerians.

“The government is not against or opponent of labour discussions; the government is not an opponent of wage increase but what is there is that government is always there to ensure that there is a balance between what government pronouncement is and what the realities are on the ground.

“And therefore, we will work assiduously to ensure that whatever promises the government makes are promises that will be kept. That is the idea of this meeting.”

Furthermore, he said President Tinubu had directed the government representatives to work collectively with the organised private sector and the sub-nationals to achieve a new affordable wage award for Nigerians.

Idris explained, “The President has given a marching order that all those who have negotiated on behalf of the Federal Government and all those who are representatives of organised private sectors, the sub-nationals to come together to have a new wage that is affordable, sustainable and that is also realistic for Nigerians.

“The wage is not just that of the Federal Government as I mentioned earlier, the sub-nationals are involved, the organised private sector is involved; it was labour that stepped out during that procedure. Now we have come back to the negotiation table.”

The minister assured that all hands would be on deck to present a new minimum wage for Nigerians in one week.

“All of us will work together assiduously within the next one week to ensure that we have a new wage for Nigeria that is acceptable, sustainable and also realistic,” Idris said.

Meanwhile, Labour said it had “relaxed” its strike for one week to enable fruitful negotiations with the Federal Government on minimum wage.

The NLC and TUC announced this in a communique on Tuesday, after a joint National Executive Council meeting.

The suspension of the strike followed a six-hour meeting between the leadership of organised labour and the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday night.

The Federal Government had expressed the commitment of President Bola Tinubu to raising the N60,000 offered as the minimum wage.

The agreement stated, “The President of Nigeria, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, is committed to establishing a National Minimum Wage higher than N60,000; and the Tripartite Committee will convene daily for the next week to finalise an agreeable National Minimum Wage.”

The organised labour also agreed to “immediately hold meetings of its organs to consider this new offer, and no worker would face victimisation as a consequence of participating in the industrial action.”

The resolutions were signed on behalf of the Federal Government by the information, Idris, and the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.

In its statement announcing the strike suspension, the unions said there was a greater need to create the right ambience for negotiation to continue unhindered.

“The indefinite nationwide strike action is, therefore, relaxed for one week from today (Tuesday) to allow the Federal Government to commit to a concrete and acceptable National Minimum Wage; take definitive steps to reverse the electricity tariff hike back to N66/kwh and abolish the discriminatory classification of electricity consumers into bands,” the unions said.

Labour also mandated its affiliate unions and state councils, to return to their respective workplaces immediately

On the issue of the electricity tariff, the unions said they were deeply disappointed by the government’s silence and lack of concrete action regarding the reversal of the electricity tariff hike and the abolition of the apartheid classification of electricity consumers into Bands.

“The NEC reaffirms that these issues are critical to alleviating the financial burden on Nigerian workers and the general populace. The electricity tariff hike and discriminatory Band classification remain unacceptable and must be addressed alongside the wage increase.”

In their position on the minimum wage, opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives called on the Federal Government to implement a new minimum wage of more than N100,000 to assuage organised labour.

Speaking with The PUNCH on Tuesday, the Minority Leader of the House, Kingsley Chinda, lamented the condition of the average Nigerian worker, stressing that the failure to pay a living wage is a constitutional breach.

He said, “In Nigeria today, any wage below $200 (N298,800) is ridiculous. The Nigerian worker is heavily underpaid and it is the responsibility of the government to ensure the security and welfare of its citizens. Failure to pay a living wage is unconstitutional as the welfare of citizens is neglected.

“Public and government officers should have their monthly wages while we consider the hourly rate for private or casual employees. The earlier the government concludes this matter with labour unions, the better.”

Like Chinda, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party and the lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, Osun State, Oluwole Oke, also made a case for the payment of a living wage which he said would enable the majority of Nigerians to cope, given the current economic realities.

“The minimum wage the Federal Government should pay should be N120,000. I say this because wage increase has its linkages, effects and consequences. Nigerian workers deserve living wages,’’ he argued.

Not unaware of the challenges his proposal would attract, Oluwole who chairs the House Committee on Judiciary, urged the private sector to be taken into consideration.

“We need to look at productivity in the private sector. Would the private sector that feeds the government survive? We have a serious issue at hand,” he added.

Asked what is good enough to count as a living wage, the lawmaker representing Abuja Municipal/Bwari Federal Constituency of the Federal Capital Territory, Chinedu Obika said, “N150,000 based on the current reality.”

Obika, a member of the Labour Party, further urged the Federal Government to consider the inflation rate in the past few years, when negotiating the new minimum wage for the workers.

In a bid to resolve the impasse on the minimum wage, the Senator representing Abia North District, Orji Kalu, has proposed a new minimum wage of N90,000.

Speaking during a brief plenary session on Tuesday, Kalu said a new wage in the region of N90,000 may be enough for workers to return to their duty posts.

Following a motion moved by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labour and Employment, Diket Plang, Kalu urged the Senate to prevail on both parties to reach an agreement in the interest of the nation.

While calling for an end to the standoff,  Kalu described the complete shutdown of the power grid by the labour unions as a “daring move” which should not have happened.

He said, “Sixty thousand might sound very good but let the entire Senate see how we can persuade both labour and the Federal Government to agree between N75,000 and N90,000

“If you go by N90,000, it means in the last five years in which this law (N30,000) was made, it means if you divide 200 per cent of N90,000 by 5, it will give you 40 per cent. The food inflation,  purchasing parity and other things you have in the market are around 32 per cent to 33 per cent. So,  labour should be very happy with what we are doing.

 “Let us send a Senate delegation to the Federal Government and Labour with the proposal of N90,000 and all the parties should agree to that.”

 The lawmaker expressed dismay over the shutting down of the nation’s power grid by the unions as part of their demands for improved wages.

“Pulling down the national grid is not an easy job and it might take up to three to four days for it to come up. Shutting down and starting a national grid is a problem.

“The Federal Government and the Labour should be cautioned to agree. Though, it’s going to be difficult for the private sector to pay, they must manage,” he said.

 On his part, Senator Ali Ndume urged the Senate to collaborate with the executive arm to sponsor a bill on a new wage. to address the situation.

Also speaking, former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan urged his colleagues to be mindful of the value of the naira, noting that a new minimum wage may not have much impact on the standard of living of Nigerians.

 He insisted that emphasis should be paid on strengthening the value of the naira adding that the new minimum wage will be useless if the naira continues to depreciate.

 “If it is N200 to a dollar, the impact will be more on the entire Nigerians, both the employed and the non employed”, Lawan stated.

 In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio said though it was heartwarming that the strike had been suspended, the conduct of the unionists, he said, deserved condemnation.

 “One of such excesses was the shutdown of the national grid which is more of an economic sabotage than agitation for a new minimum wage.

 “Also, disruption or prevention of students from writing their West African School Certificate Examination by some labour unionists during the strike was bad because the examination is not organised by Nigeria but by West African Countries,” he said.

 He also condemned the disruption of Hajj flights by the unionists, saying such a development must not occur again.

 Weighing in on the matter, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Kingsley Moghalu, noted that Nigeria’s level of productivity cannot support the N494,000 minimum wage organised labour is demanding.

Moghalu disclosed this on his official X handle on Tuesday.

Moghalu said the demand is deserving but not realistic and therefore recommended a minimum wage of N75,000 to N100,000.

“In the debates on the national wage in Nigeria, we miss the fundamental point: there is little or no productivity in the economy,” he said.

“If we had a truly productive economy, there is no reason we can’t have the kind of minimum wage of N400k or N500K that Labour wants. But we can’t, because the level of productivity in the economy cannot support it. Remember, the minimum wage is not just about government salaries.

“There are not more than 2 million, at most 3m civil servants in Nigeria. It is even more about what is paid in the private sector to household staff, etc.

“All of this is why, all things considered, including avoiding a minimum wage that multiplies already ravaging inflation (assuming such a wage can even be paid), I recommend a minimum wage of between N75,000 and N100,000.”

He further explained that productivity can be achieved by human capital development and electricity, amongst others.

“In fact, speaking about productivity, how productive is an average Nigerian worker? How skilled is he or she, and thus how much value does he or she create?

“I know we are all upset at our insensitive political class, who do not care about the masses and only for themselves. But the economics of it all is far more complex.

“Sadly, it is quite obvious that the political will to reduce the waste in governance does not exist.

“Human capital development, skills that create value addition, which is economically quantifiable. Wealth creation and profitability increase. Wages go up naturally and of course, the almighty electricity,’’ he stated.

[Punch]

The Enugu State Chapter of the Nigeria Red Cross Society has faulted the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its Chairman, Ugo Agballa, on the claim that it lost a baby in the process of demolitions at Holy Ghost, Enugu, where the state government is clearing the old motor park and some properties to build a modern transport terminal.

It also faulted the claim that it had over 100 children at the time of the demolition, saying they had only 14 children who had all been safely and temporarily relocated to another orphanage in the state capital, asking to be left out of Enugu politics.

It is recalled that the Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the APC, Chief Ugo Agballa, had on Monday addressed the press at Holy Ghost where he levelled several allegations on Governor Peter Mbah Administration over some of the development projects in the state.

But reacting to the development, the state scribe of the Red Cross, Udegbu, said, “It is not true that any child died. We are healthy. The governor relocated us and they are working on our new site. And we do not play background politics. The Red Cross is an impartial body all over the world. And the role we play is auxiliary to the government’s role. So, we want to be left out of politics because we are not a partisan organisation.

“We do no have anything near 100 children. They are 14. “What happened that time wash that they were renovating a place for us at the old UNTH road. But that place was not ready when they came with a bulldozer. But when the governor got to know about the reality, he relocated the babies to Ken David’s Orphanage Home and they are working on that permanent place right now.

“So, by the grace of God, His Excellency, the Governor, has since relocated the babies to an orphanage they call Ken David’s Orphanage Home. And the children are there temporarily until they finish the new place.

“I thank the governor for taking a decisive action by making the babies comfortable when he got to know the truth.

“The governor is the Patron of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Enugu Branch, by the Nigerian Red Cross Act 1960. So, those babies are his own too,” the Red Cross said

[Vanguard]