Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has issued a cautionary advice to Chief Bola Tinubu regarding the approval of a new minimum wage, expressing concerns about its affordability for states.
Speaking on The Platform, a programme hosted by Lagos-based church, Covenant Nation, to commemorate the 2024 Democracy Day, Soludo emphasized the importance of ensuring that any proposed minimum wage is sustainable for all states.
The former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) highlighted the challenges faced by both state governments and the Organised Private Sector in meeting the proposed minimum wage figures.
The governor said he “pities” Tinubu if he approves an “unsustainable” minimum wage for workers in the country.
He specifically referenced the Federal Government’s proposal of N62,000 and the Organised Labour’s demand for N250,000, warning that an unsustainable wage could exacerbate economic challenges and potentially lead to job losses.
Soludo’s remarks come amidst tensions between the federal government and labour unions over the proposed minimum wage. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have strongly opposed the government’s proposed figure, referring to it as a “starvation wage.” They have vowed to reject any minimum wage that they deem inadequate.
In his Democracy Day message to Nigerians, Tinubu announced his intention to transmit the national minimum wage bill to the National Assembly in the coming days. However, the unions have indicated that their next course of action will depend on the Tinubu’s decision regarding the proposed wage.
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