The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman noted that the country has recorded a drop in the performance of female students in examination. 

Mamman gave the expression at the end of a technical and vocational education training camp for girls in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital.

Although he did not state the reason for the decrease in performance, however, the minister further noted that the camp would trigger female students’ interest in skills acquisition and entrepreneurship.

Mamman urged female students to show commitment to their studies.

According to him, the President Bola Tinubu-led administration was determined to produce students with both certificates and skills.

He also reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment towards providing knowledge and skill-based education for Nigerian youths.

According to him, implementing knowledge and skill-based education would promote rapid economic and industrial growth of the nation.

290 students drawn from 29 federal science technical colleges, participated in the two-week programme with the theme: “Painting for the Future”.

Addressing participants, Mamman said that the purpose of the camp was to stimulate innovative and creative abilities in female students, and to encourage healthy competition among them.

He commended the African Development Bank for partnering with the Federal Ministry of Education on the project.

In her remarks, the Commissioner for Education in Akwa Ibom, Idongesit Etiebet described the programme as timely and well-intended.

Etiebet urged the participants to take the lessons from the programme seriously, and to use it to add value to themselves in the interest of their future.

Budget allocations for food and catering supplies for the offices of the President, Vice-President, and State House headquarters rose by 20 per cent from 2022 to 2024.

Although the allocations remained static at N702.95m for 2022 and 2023, it grew to N845.07m in 2024.

While the office of the President allocated a total of N856.57m for the three years, about N650.84m was earmarked for the Vice President’s office for the period. Budget documents showed that the State House Headquarters also earmarked N743.55m for the three years.

On November 29, 2023, President Bola Tinubu presented the 2024 appropriations bill to a joint session of the 10th National Assembly in Abuja. 

On January 1, 2024, he signed a N28.7tn budget into law after the Senate’s approval. This was N1.2tn higher than the budget he proposed to the National Assembly.

The Senate had increased the budget by N1.2tn, moving the budget from N27.5tn to N28.7tn.

A breakdown of the budget for food and catering supplies showed that N245.14m was reserved for the State House administration, N301.14m for the office of the President and N156.66m for the office of the Vice President.

The allocation remained the same for 2023.

However, the 2024 budget allocated N253.27m for the State House headquarters, N254.27m for the President’s office and N337.52m for the office of the Vice President.

Checks by Sunday PUNCH on GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyses Federal Government’s spendings, revealed that the State House administration disbursed approximately 566.22m on the supply of rice and other food items between March and September 2024.

It paid part of the money through its transit account and other amounts to three beneficiaries, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Retail Limited.

On March 1, the State House paid the sum of N275,633,850 to Samdan Global Construction and Resources Limited for the supply of 1,095 bags of 50kg rice and 4,095 cartons of seasoning cubes.

On the same day, it paid another N280,590,000 to Victor Adeks Nigeria Limited for the supply of an additional 3,000 bags of 50kg rice.

During his presentation on the 2023/2024 budget implementation on October 8, the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Mr Olufunso Adebiyi, said the State House had achieved 43 per cent implementation of capital projects for 2024 and an impressive 99 per cent implementation in overhead expenditure.

The permanent secretary welcomed an earlier increase in allocation to the State House in the 2024 appropriation, citing the considerable demand from various cost centres during the challenging fiscal year.

“This has gone a long way in enhancing our performance as an important arm of government, especially with regards to the welfare of staff and various capital projects such as the renovation of the residential quarters of the President, Aguda House, computerisation and digitalisation of the State House, construction of an office complex, replacement of operational vehicles, and others,” he said.

The chief accounting officer further presented the 2023 budget and supplementary budget performances.

He disclosed that N1.65bn was approved for personnel costs in 2023, of which N1.65bn was spent, leaving a balance of N439,433.66.

For overhead expenditure in 2023, N8.29bn was appropriated, and N8.27bn was expended, leaving an outstanding balance of N14.5m, marking a 99.82 per cent budget implementation.

Regarding total capital expenditure for 2023, Adebiyi said N11.2bn was approved, with N10.9bn spent, representing an overall performance of 98 per cent.

In an earlier interview with The PUNCH, the Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, said government spending should be regulated to reflect the dire economic situation of the country.

“We all know that, until now, there is so much profligacy in government. And until we have a new constitution that regulates government spending, we will still be battling with the problem,” he argued.

At the time of filing this report, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, was not reachable for comments.

However, in an earlier explainer, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Temitope Ajayi, argued that the allocations were not for the consumption of the President or his deputy alone.

Ajayi wrote, “When the State House makes provision for vehicles, it is reported that the President will use all the vehicles or eat all the food when a provision is made for food and catering services.

“A President and Vice President cannot, for any reason, spend N20m to eat in a year if it is about the food they will eat as first and second families. How much food can a person really eat?

“In actual fact, such budgetary provisions are made to accommodate many state events, meetings, hosting of VIPs, foreign dignitaries, and even visits by other Heads of State and bilateral and multilateral meetings that the State House will deal with in a given year.”

The Cross River State police command has apprehended six suspected Ambazonian rebels.

The Command disclosed on Saturday that it arrested the suspects after they invaded Akamkpa Local Government Area of the state.

Ambazonia is a political entity proclaimed by Anglophone separatists seeking independence from Cameroon.

Since 2017, Ambazonian rebels have engaged in armed conflict with the Cameroonian military in what is known as the Anglophone Crisis.

Speaking on the arrest, the command’s Spokesperson, Ewa Igri, said the suspects, whose age ranges between 18 and 36, were paraded with various weapons, improvised explosives devices, booths, charms and flags.

He revealed that the separatists were arrested following intelligence information, describing the feat as a breakthrough for the law enforcement agency.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2024 election, Atiku Abubakar, has stated that he is preoccupied with issues affecting Nigerians.

Atiku, a former Vice President of Nigeria, accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and his collaborators of playing politics with the sufferings of Nigerians.

Atiku stated this in response to Wike, who had at an event in Rivers State, said having contested the presidential election in 2019 and 2023 as the PDP candidate and lost, Atiku has been rejected by Nigerians.

He said, “We never contested local government elections. Did we contest? Did we pick form? I hear Atiku Abubakar say, ‘Oh they have rejected me in Rivers State. Okay, assuming though not conceding, he had lost so many times, Nigerians have also rejected him.”

Reacting in a statement on Saturday, Atiku’s Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, noted that the former VP won’t descend into the gutters where the FCT Minister feels at home.

He stated that while Wike may seek to divert attention with his baseless rants, Nigerians must remain focused on the genuine issues affecting them.

Ibe said it is clear that Wike is more concerned with self-interest than addressing the real challenges faced by the nation.

The statement read: “Our attention has been drawn to the recent remarks made by Mr. Nyesom Wike, which can only be described as another of his theatrical outbursts. Ordinarily, we would not respond, but we recognize that silence might be misinterpreted.

“However, we remain calm, knowing that Nigerians are well acquainted with his antics, a lingering symptom of the bitterness he harbours from his defeat to the Wazirin Adamawa at the 2022 party presidential primaries.

“Mr. Wike’s comments are nothing more than a string of inanities, lacking substance and driven by personal grievances. If he truly believes Nigerians are content with the current state of affairs under the government he serves, it reveals a deeper truth: his priorities lie not with the people but with himself. This self-absorption is evident in his preoccupation with domestic affairs in Rivers rather than his ministerial responsibilities.

“While he may seek to divert attention with his baseless rants, we remain focused on the genuine issues affecting Nigerians. It is clear that Mr. Wike is more concerned with self-interest than addressing the real challenges faced by the nation. In contrast, our commitment remains unwavering, centred on the welfare and progress of the people.

“Mr. Wike appears to delight in conjuring fantasies, indulging in his imagination, and paying for live TV coverage to launch tirades against whomever he pleases. However, we shall not descend into the gutters where he feels at home. Instead, we prefer to rise above, maintaining our dignity while others revel in the mud.”

Nigeria have dispatched Ecuador in a Group A match at the FIFA U-17 World Cup to book their spot in the knockouts of the competition.

The Flamingos won the game 4-0. That victory sealed their spot in the next round of the competition having defeated New Zealand 1-4 in their first match of the tournament.

Nigeria scored once in the first half and had a hat-trick of goals upon resumption to win the game.

A brace from Shakirat Moshood – one in the 28th minute and the second in the 96th minute- saw Nigeria claim all three points in the match.

Harmony Chidi netted in the 54th minute while Peace Effiong scored in the 66 minute for the West Africans.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has blamed the most recent national grid collapse on the explosion of a transformer at the Jebba Transmission station. 

Several parts of the country were thrown into a blackout in the early hours of the day, the third time in a week.

NERC said it is concerned by the “escalating incidence of grid disturbances” which is “reversing many of the gains recently achieved in reducing infrastructure deficit and improving grid stability”.

“Initial reports on the grid disturbance that occurred this morning indicate that today’s outage was triggered by an explosion of a current transformer at the Jebba transmission station at 0815hrs and an associated cascade of power plants shut down arising from the loss of load,” the NERC said in a Saturday statement. “However, efforts to restore supply have advanced with power significantly restored, as at 1300hrs, in 33 states and the FCT.”

NERC said it is working to ensure a more “discipline in grid management and optimised investment in infrastructure”.

“In pursuit of finding a permanent resolution to the challenges of the national grid, the Commission shall shortly conduct an investigative public hearing with a view to identifying immediate and remote causes of recurring incidences of grid disturbances and widespread outages,” it said.

“The date and venue of the public hearing will shortly be announced in the national dailies and stakeholders are encouraged to participate.”

Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has lamented that the country has become a “burial ground for policies,” leading to more setbacks than progress.

Speaking on Saturday, Obasanjo criticized the nation’s inability to implement policies effectively, stating that while Nigeria has no shortage of ideas for advancement, the lack of execution has been a significant problem.

According to Obasanjo, policies alone are not enough to drive the country forward. He emphasized that meaningful progress is only achieved through decisive actions, not by making promises or announcements.

The former president stressed the importance of focusing on what can realistically be achieved, rather than trying to accomplish everything at once, advising against the “jack of all trades, master of none” approach.

Obasanjo said: “It is not enough for leaders to have policies or make statements. We are not short of policies in Nigeria. Unfortunately, Nigeria has become a burial ground of policies that are either unimplemented or unexecuted.

“Those who make progress achieved progress, not on the basis of wishing to make progress, but on taking actions. They do not take two steps forward and three steps backward.

“Regrettably this is what we are doing in every aspect of our national life. And as long as we are doing things this way, progress will elude us. Let us carry the ones we can carry, we cannot be jack of all trade and master of none.”

Obasanjo made these remarks as the Special Guest of Honour at the Olusegun Obasanjo Space Centre in Abuja during the 8th Engr Brig Gen (rtd) Micheal Agu Annual Distinguished Lecture and Awards.

The event, hosted by the Nigerian Institution of Space Engineers, focused on Nigeria’s achievements, challenges, and future prospects in space exploration over the past two decades, with the theme “Nigeria’s 21 years in space 2003-2024: Achievements, challenges and prospects.”

At the event, Obasanjo was honored with the title of Grand Commander of Nigerian Space Exploration.

He recounted his administration’s efforts in establishing the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) and sending over 100 engineers to China for specialized training.

His government had envisioned launching Nigeria’s first satellite in collaboration with China, followed by a second and third satellite with increasing Nigerian involvement.

However, he expressed disappointment over the lack of sustained progress, noting that the agency struggled at one point to even pay its workers.

The General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, has urged Nigerian pastors to stop brainwashing their members with seed sowing for financial prosperity.

The clergyman appealed while preaching at a Christian meeting on Friday, October 18.

Kumuyi said the ideal thing is for poor church members, especially widows, to receive help from their pastors by providing solutions to their needs and not being exploited with seed sowing.

He also expressed concern about how church founders are getting richer at the expense of their members.

He said, “Elijah added value to the people that are low and those widows that cannot pay back that is what the anointing does in our lives. You add value to people; to those who are down raise them up, those who are poor.

There are preachers, they take the little that the widows have. In our nation here, they say if you sow this seed the Lord will multiply it a hundredfold. Let us be sincere, and if you are a preacher like that and you are here let’s talk; those widows have next to nothing, then we preachers we brainwash them and we tell them…and those poor widows what can they do?

They just believe every word we speak and all they have, inheritance from their late husbands they put at the apostles’ feet, and after they have done that ‘God bless you, God bless you’ everybody can say that, and they (widows) go back home.

Examine yourself, all those people that have given everything as their prophet told them in our land, where are they today, how are they feeling, how are their children doing, how are they sending their children to school instead of the prophet that has millions and millionaire already instead of him looking for the widows who their children are not in school and sponsor them just for God’s glory we don’t have that we only have those that take from the widows and render them poorer and they are getting richer and richer.

“The preachers of today are getting richer at the expense of the members of their church. Let somebody speak out, tell our prophets, preachers, and bishops that this ought not to be. In the case of Elisha in the transformation of the nation he added supernatural supply to the suffering widows.”

Umar Namadi, governor of Jigawa, has suspended Auwal Sankara, the state commissioner for special duties, over an alleged affair with a married woman.

On Friday, the Kano state Hisbah board said Sankara was arrested at an uncompleted building over an alleged illicit affair with a married woman in Kano.

Reacting to the allegation in a statement, the commissioner dismissed it as “false, malicious and baseless.”

Sankara vowed to take legal action against those behind the allegations, adding that their aim was to damage his reputation.

In a statement on Saturday, Bala Ibrahim, secretary to the Jigawa state government, said the commissioner would be suspended pending an investigation into the allegations.

“The suspension is a precautionary measure intended to facilitate a fair investigation,” Ibrahim said.

“We take all allegations seriously and are dedicated to upholding the trust of Jigawa citizens in the government.”

THE FIVE-MEMBER PANEL

In another statement, the state government announced that it has constituted a five-member committee to investigate the allegations against the commissioner.

The committee is to be chaired by the secretary to the Jigawa state government.

Other members are Sagir Ahmed, commissioner for information; Lawal Danzomo, commissioner for basic education; Usman Jahun, special adviser on security matters; and Adamu Garin, private secretary to the governor.

The committee is to submit its report in two weeks time.

The state government said the allegations led to “significant embarrassment and degradation to the reputation” of the government.

Nearly two months after President Bola Tinubu signed the new minimum wage into law, findings revealed that only two states, Edo and Adamawa, have commenced payment of N70,000 to the least-paid workers in their various states.

Eight states, Lagos, Rivers, Ondo Ogun, Kogi, Gombe and Bauchi said they would be paying a different amount.

This came as Organised Labour gave all governors an October deadline to implement the new wage or face industrial unrest.

Of note is that while Edo State started paying its workers N70,000 in June, two months before it was signed into law, Adamawa State started implementing the N70,000 new minimum wage in August.
States where wages have been announced

Lagos

Among states that have displayed preparedness to pay the new wage is Lagos.

Recall that Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on October 16, said his administration was ready to pay N85,000 as minimum wage.

The decision was said to have been made unilaterally without negotiations or agreement with Organised Labour in the state.

However, Sunday Vanguard learnt the leadership of Labour in the state would begin negotiation with government on October 21, 2024.

Meanwhile, Sanwo-Olu, in an interview, said: “I just want to let you know that the minimum wage in Lagos as we discussed with our workers’ union is N85,000 as of today. It is not a competition. I’m not saying that we are paying more than other states. It is a function of affordability and the function of capacity.

“I would like to come back in January to say that I have been able to increase the minimum wage of Lagos’ public workers to N100,000, not because I want to make anybody look bad, but because I want my people to have a living wage.”

However, a statement jointly signed by the Chairman and Secretary of Lagos State Public Service Joint Negotiating Council, NJIC, Olusegun Balogun and Toba Odumosu, confirmed the planned negotiation meeting with government.

Ondo

Ondo State government agreed to pay N73,000 minimum wage to its workers.

This is N3,000 more than the N70,000 benchmark signed into law.

Like his Lagos State counterpart, it appeared Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa announced the amount without negotiations and agreement with Organised Labour in the state.

The government made its position known during the flag-off of Ondo Central Senatorial District leg of the gubernatorial campaign of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo City.

In a chat, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, said a committee is already working on the template after which the state government will commence payment.

Ogun

In Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun agreed to pay N77,000 to the lowest worker.
He said payment would begin this month.

The amount is also N7,000 above the baseline of N70,000 at the federal.

Nevertheless, it was gathered that the decision to peg it at N77,000 was after a meeting with the leadership of the Organized Labour in Ogun State.

Edo

Edo State blazed the trail with the payment of N70,000 minimum wage in the country in June 2024.
This was before the Federal Government agreed to pay N70,000 following bitting hardship in the country.

Rivers

Also, in Rivers State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara approved the payment of N85,000.00 to civil servants in the state, starting from November 2024.

However, reports said an agreement was reached during a closed-door meeting presided over by the governor and attended by representatives of Organised Labour under the auspices of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council.

Delta

In Delta State, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori approved the payment of new minimum wage to workers with effect from October.

However, there is no report on the amount to be paid.

Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Dr. Kingsley Emu, disclosed the governor’s approval during a meeting of the Minimum Wage Committee with the leadership of Organised Labour in Delta State.

Emu said the meeting was at the instance of Governor Oborevwori, who directed immediate payment of the new minimum wage starting in October.

Kogi

Governor Ahmed Ododo of Kogi State, on October 7, approved N72, 500 as minimum wage for the least-paid workers.

The N72,500 wage is N2,500 higher than the amount approved in July by Governor Ododo also approved tax relief for all workers in the state.

Gombe

In Gombe State, Governor Inuwa Yahaya approved N71,500 as minimum wage for civil servants effective October 2024.

Chairman of NLC in the state, Yusuf Aish-Bello, disclosed this after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, on the new national minimum wage in Gombe on October 14, 2024.

Aish-Bello said a worker on grade level 1, step 1, would be receiving N71,551.

According to him, “Today, we have reached an agreement on what will be paid to civil servants in the state.

“It has been agreed that the minimum standard of paying in Gombe State will be N71,551.15 that is for Grade Level 1 step 1.

“You know the salary structure has its intricacies, the N18,000 and N30,000 is nothing to write home about.’’

Adamawa

Adamawa State government, like its counterpart in Edo State, pays the new wage.

Gombe began the payment of the N70, 000 minimum wage in August 2024 to all categories of civil servants.

It was however gathered that the implementation of the new wage at the Local government councils is expected to commence this October.

Bauchi

Bauchi State NLC Chairman, Dauda Shu’aibu, confirmed that a minimum wage of N70,000 has been agreed upon.
He noted that the committee on implementation began work on October 7, 2024.

However, the commencement date has not been made public.

It was gathered that government had earlier inaugurated a tripartite technical committee tasked with arriving at the modalities for the payment of the new wage.

The committee included representatives from state government, NLC, and the TUC.

Borno

In Borno State, Governor, Babagana Zulum convened a meeting with the state minimum wage implementation committee during which he directed that civil servants be paid the new national wage this month.

The meeting was held in Maiduguri in October 2024 at the council chamber of the Government House.

States yet-to-announce

Meanwhile, most of the states appear not to have shown readiness to pay the new wage.

Oyo

In Oyo State, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju, said: “The current administration under His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, has not yet decided on the new minimum wage for state workers.

“It is important to note that this decision is not solely at the discretion of the governor. He plans to meet with relevant stakeholders to discuss the matter.

“Following these discussions, a new wage policy will be announced. In the meantime, Oyo State workers have been benefiting from the initiatives of the current government. At the appropriate time, we will communicate the details of the new wage policy after consultations with labour unions in the state. “

Bayelsa

Similarly, Bayelsa State government is yet to announce any date for the commencement of payment of the new minimum wage.

But the Chairman of the state chapter of TUC, Julius Laye, said: “The committee set up by His Excellency, the Governor is working on the various templates for the various salary structures based on the percentage released by the National Salary, Wage and Income Commission. Once that is concluded, the state and labour will go through it and a presentation will be made to the governor.”

In Cross River

In Cross River State, Gill Nsabasi, Chief Press Secretary, CPS, to the governor, Senator Bassey Otu, said the state is still paying the N40,000 the governor announced on May Day this year.

According to him, “Negotiations are ongoing on the N70,000 agreed by the Federal Government with labour. Once negotiations are concluded, payment of the new minimum wage will be done.”

Akwa Ibom

In the same vein, nothing has been heard about the implementation of the new minimum wage in Akwa Ibom.
It would be recalled that while the negotiations were still ongoing at the federal level, Governor Umo Eno said his administration would wait on the federal government to come up with modalities before Akwa Ibom makes a pronouncement.

Imo

In Imo State, Governor, Hope Uzodimma said the state government and the state leadership of Labour are working out modalities for the payment of N70,000.

The governor, through his CPS, Oguike Nwachukwu, in a statement, said: “Since the new minimum wage figure of N70,000 is already known to everyone, what is needed is to work out the modalities on the consequential adjustments to trickle it down to the senior staff cadre because it is not for the junior workers alone.

“Governor Uzodimma said but for limited resources at the disposal of government, he was committed to immediate implementation.’’

Benue

In Benue State, Governor Hyacinth Alia promised that his administration would pay the N70,000 wage to the state workforce.

His words: “I understand that things are difficult and the economy is stagnated. With all the plans and arrangements that are in place, things are moving and even our Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, has increased.

“It is now left to us to block all the loopholes and see how we can cash in to do other things including the payment of salaries. We can pay, I am focused with all my purposes and intentions.’’

Sokoto

In Sokoto State, nothing has been done to implement the new minimum wage.

Governor Ahmed Aliyu had initially promised that his administration would be among the first states to pay the new minimum when NLC and the federal government reached an agreement.

Since an agreement was reached on the N70,000 new minimum wage, his government has kept mute.

Commissioner for Information, Sambo Bello Danchadi, while speaking to Sunday Vanguard, said: “Please, there is no cause for alarm. The minimum wage will be paid to our workforce.”

Kaduna

Special Adviser to Governor Uba Sani on Labour Matters, Adamu Sama’ila, said the governor has set up a committee on Minimum Wage.

But the state Chairman of NLC, Ayuba Suleiman, earlier said negotiations for the implementation had not started.

According to him, “There is no basis yet to begin the negotiations, as the National Salary and Wages Commission is yet to come up with the new salary table.

“The table we have presently is based on N30,000 minimum wage and it is the responsibility of the National Salary, Income and Wages Commission to determine the new table for the salary structures.”

Niger

In Niger State, nothing has been done on the implementation of the new minimum wage.

Though government had agreed in principle to pay, there seems to be nothing on the ground in that regard.
It would be recalled the state Deputy Governor, Yakubu Garba, during May Day celebration this year, said the state government would implement the new minimum wage.

He did not, however, give the implementation time.

Sunday Vanguard’s findings show that no committee has been set up for negotiations.

Taraba

In Taraba State, N30,000 minimum wage is still in force.

However, after the announcement of the new minimum wage in June, Governor Agbu Kefas, said his administration would pay.

He said: “My administration is fully committed to implementing federal government’s decision on the minimum wage.’’

Kwara

Kwara State government and labour leadership have yet to agree on the template for implementation of the N70,000 new minimum wage for civil servants in the state.

Commissioner for Communications, Bola Olukoju, told Sunday Vanguard that stakeholders were still meeting on the issue.

She said: “We have not concluded on the minimum wage in Kwara State. We are still meeting with stakeholders on it. I will let you know as soon as we conclude on the amount to pay as minimum wage .”

Plateau

Government said it would pay the new minimum wage without indicating when it would commence.

Commissioner for Information and Communication, Musa Ashoms, said: “Plateau State is having an interface with the unions to look at the reality of our purse so that we do not announce figures for sensationalism. We will announce what we can pay.

“We had a session with the unions recently. Our purse is different from others and we are looking at things holistically.”

Labour fumes

Reacting to the issue, Organised Labour said it is not taking the situation lightly.

This newspaper had reported that governors’ unwillingness or slow pace in implementation was a major issue during last Wednesday’s meeting with the federal government.

Recall that Vanguard had exclusively reported that at the meeting held in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of Federation, SFG, there was an agreement to summon a meeting with state governors to ensure implementation.

A Labour leader who pleaded anonymity, said: ”We are waiting for the federal government to meet the state governors on the matter since the federal government has agreed to meet with the governors over it.
We resolved to wait till the end of October before deciding what next steps to take. If at the end of October, the situation remains as it is today, then we shall take appropriate action.

The N70,000 minimum wage is a law duly legislated by the National Assembly and signed into law by the President of the country. There are consequences for those who decide to breach the law. We shall also handle such people whether public or private in our own ways within the ambit of the law.

One other issue we are discussing with the federal government is the commencement date. The amendment done by the National Assembly and signed into law by the President did not affect or change the principal act, which stipulates that minimum wage commenced on April 18. The government is aware of that. So, when the discussion is concluded, arrears will be paid across the board nationwide and in all sectors.”

Meanwhile, there is disquiet in federal MDAs over the use of the old minimum wage template for payments.